


What You’re Worth

by ChippedCat



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: (kazoo noises), Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Alternate Etheria, Alternate Universe - Adora Remains with the Horde (She-Ra), Best Friend Squad (She-Ra), Catra (She-Ra) Leaves the Horde, F/F, Horde Adora (She-Ra), Magicatra AU, Major Character Injury, Mental Breakdown, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, Super Pal Trio (She-Ra), but like evil, eventual catradora - Freeform, it's not graphic, some therapy would be good too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChippedCat/pseuds/ChippedCat
Summary: Adora doesn’t want this. This isn’t what she signed up for. But it’s the right thing to do, the only thing to do. She didn’t want to steal. She didn’t want to fight. Most of all, she didn’t want to kill Catra. But Adora doesn’t get to want things. She doesn’t get to refuse orders, regardless of her thoughts. All she does is what she’s told, what she knows is right. That’s how she stays worthy.Etheria chose Catra. It wants her to protect it, to stop the Horde. The Rebellion chose Catra to be their strongest fighter, their greatest asset and most exalted member. The people love her, even if deep down she knows it’s just She-Ra they love. Still, her life has worth here, worth beyond being a package deal with Adora. They didn’t want Adora. They wanted Catra. She was finally worth something.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Entrapta & Scorpia (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 132
Kudos: 167





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Did someone say Magi-"  
> "No one said Magicatra!"  
> "Well, you just did."  
> This is probably a little late, but I'm jumping on the Magicatra bandwagon. For all its popularity with visual artists, there aren't a lot of Magicatra fanfics and I believe in being the change you want to see in the world. Enjoy!

The day Adora became a Force Captain should have been the best day of her life. Instead, it became one of the worst.

Everything was going well at first. Adora received her badge and her first assignment, but of course Catra couldn’t be happy for her. Catra never thought of the greater good. Shadow Weaver had been clear that Etheria needed someone strong and focused on leading the Horde to victory. Catra was strong, maybe even more so than Adora was, but she was undisciplined and lacked focus. She wasn’t cut out for a leadership role. At least not until she grew up.

One day, Catra and Adora would rule all of Etheria, now united and peaceful, and they could finally be equals just as they both wanted. But that couldn’t happen until Catra was an adult and outgrew her childish fixations. Until then, Adora would stay unhappily in the lead.

Catra acted strangely around Adora that day. She claimed she had a weird dream and it was throwing her off, but Adora thought it was something more. Catra seemed scared, especially when she saw Adora with a Force Captain badge. She turned white like she’d seen a princess and dashed off to their secret tower. Adora knew what would cheer her up, though.

That’s how they ended up on the skiff, problems forgotten. When they were alone, they were equal. Adora always saw Catra as an equal, even when the rest of the world didn’t. Here, sailing through the Whispering Woods in a reckless and oh-so-Catra way, they stood on equal ground. But that was only in private. In the barracks, on the training course, in front of their superiors, one of them had to be a step above the other. In the Horde, everyone wanted the same thing and only one person could have it. That was just the natural order. Adora was the best in her class and Catra couldn’t share that with her. Catra had to stay on the rung under her.

She should have known Catra would resent her for that.

After the skiff crashed, Adora found Catra on the ground. Her heart stopped as she dove to her friend’s side and only began again when she heard Catra breathing. Adora didn’t understand the way her heart skipped a beat when Catra’s eyes opened and their faces were inches apart. Adora ignored it like she did whenever her body reacted strangely to Catra’s presence. It was happening more and more recently.

“Adora, what happened?” Catra blinked groggily and her eyes darted around like she was looking for something.

“You drove the skiff into a tree,” Adora remembered Shadow Weaver’s words, how Catra had to work harder to prove herself and one day join Adora on top. “I’m not even surprised since you failed driver’s education twice last year. You really should put more work into your studies.”

“Oh, not this again.” Catra sighed.

“All I’m saying is that these skills have real-world applications. You really should know how to drive.” Adora shrugged.

“I didn’t even crash it. I was driving, you grabbed the wheel, I fell out, and-” she stopped. “Where is it?”

“What?”

“The Sword?” she sat up, Adora scrambling back to avoid bumping heads. “It was right here.”

“There’s no sword, Catra.” Adora said. “Are you alright?”

“It was there,” Catra stood up and pointed at a pile of bushes. “It glowed, and when I touched it, I heard someone talking.”

“Was it the Headless Princess?” Adora whispered, suddenly afraid. Those stories Shadow Weaver told her always started with hearing voices.

“No, idiot.” Catra rolled her eyes. “The voice was talking about….. balance.”

“You were probably just dreaming Horde slogans. ‘The Horde brings unity. Unity brings balance. Balance brings peace.’ All those mantras we memorized as kids.” Adora reasoned.

“Right,” Catra muttered. She let Adora led her by the hand back to the Fright Zone and let herself be herded into bed with the other cadets. Adora didn’t think about what Catra had said in the Woods. Not until she woke up and Catra was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a prologue, so the whole story won't be in this style. There will be dialogue and the like starting with Chapter 1. Speaking of which, I don't know how beta-ing works (I'm a newbie), and my editor refuses to read fanfics and judges me for writing them, so if anyone has any ideas for me, let me know. I'd like someone else to look over my stuff before posting it to get a second opinion and maybe point out a plothole or a typo.  
> As always, please leave Kudos and a comment (it's a great motivator). I wanna hear what everyone thinks or if you guys have any ideas for the story down the line. Feedback is tremendously important to me! Lastly, I'm not sure about the title and if I hear a really great suggestion, I'll change it and leave a shoutout to the person who suggested it.


	2. The Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day has finally arrived. Adora's a Force Captain now and Catra has outlived her usefulness. Or has she discovered a new way to be valuable?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first official chapter of What You're Worth, and since I'm posting it today, Sundays will be my update days from now on. Also, this chapter was beta'd by my friend Olive, who is much better at knowing where commas are supposed to go than me, so you have her to thank for that.  
> I know Magicatra is hardly a unique idea, but I have added some twists and turns to keep things interesting, starting in this chapter. For starters, this isn't canon divergence! There's a little divergence, but it happens well before the canon starts. A single event happened some decades ago and everything is different by the time the canon picks up. Enjoy!

Catra’s day was utterly miserable even before she found out about her magical destiny.

“Catra.” Shadow Weaver appeared behind her as suddenly as ever. Catra barely had time to yelp before being grabbed by her hair and shoved against a locker. She’d been waiting for Adora to get back from her talk with Shadow Weaver, but apparently, their mentor had to have a chat with them both today. Catra doubted that would go over well for her.

“Shadow Weaver.” Disobedient as she was, Catra still knew the right time to hold in an insult. With Adora not around and Shadow Weaver seemingly in an unkind mood, this was one of those times.

“I have good news. Today is the day.” Catra’s mood soured instantly.  _ Oh no _ .

“And have I-”

“Hardly.” Shadow Weaver interrupted, eyes narrowing. The shadows in the room thickened.

“Then-”

“Adora leaves for Thaymor in two days. After that, you know what happens.” The pleasure in Shadow Weaver’s voice made Catra’s skin crawl. She said nothing else. “I hope you enjoyed your time as a thorn in my side.” She sounded like she was smiling.

“What are you going to do?” Catra’s voice shook, the usual venom in it gone.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” Shadow Weaver backed away, heading for the hallway. “It’s a shame. Adora will be so sad to hear about the training accident.” She was gone with those words, and Catra was sprinting the opposite way, trying to find her friend.

Catra remembered when she was a Seventh Year cadet and Adora was just beginning to outshine her teammates. She was told for the first time that she was destined to become a Force Captain. It was all Adora talked about for weeks. To that day, in their Eighteenth Year, she still chattered on about becoming a Force Captain at any opportunity. It was all Adora had ever wanted; a chance for more power and greater respect. Catra had wished against all odds that she would never achieve her goal.

_ “One day, Adora will surpass you in rank as well as skill. When that day comes, she won’t need a pet anymore.” Catra stood shivering in the Runestone Chamber, held in place by that terrible magic from the Moonstone. “Unless you can prove yourself to me, show me that you’re worth the clothes on your back and the bunk you occupy. That day will be the beginning of your final hours. The second Adora goes on her first mission, there will be an accident. You’ll be the only casualty. I hope you feel more motivated.” _

All Catra felt was fear, At the time, she’d placed her trust in Adora, knowing her friend wouldn’t leave her with Shadow Weaver to be disposed of. But, when Catra found Adora out on the tower with her new badge, the one Catra has been dreading the sight of for a decade, Adora said she was leaving for Thaymor alone. Catra would stay here to continue training. There would undoubtedly be an accident, or that’s what the cover story would be. Catra knew that she would die at night while everyone else slept. She’d probably die in a little pool in the Runestone Chamber where Shadow Weaver had often threatened to drown her as a kitten. Maybe she’d be poisoned so it would look like an accident, or a suicide. Maybe she’d just be consumed by shadows, encircled by darkness until not even bones were left behind. And, there was nothing she could do.

Until there was.

In the Woods, Catra found the Sword; golden hilt, gray stone in the center, light blue blade. The thing looked like a princess’ weapon, impractically shiny and overly detailed for show. Horde weapons were simple and to the point. They got the job done. This sword didn’t look like it had seen real combat in a long time, if ever. It seemed very much like a ceremonial weapon, something to be admired rather than swung. It was probably worth something on the Black Market. Catra strode towards it, already imagining all the contraband she could indulge in before her scheduled death in two days. She had to eat applesauce at least one more time before she died.

Her fingers touched the handle of the strange blade, and instantly, she was bombarded with strange sounds and visions. A voice was calling out to her. They needed someone to balance the planet. They needed her. The feeling was indescribable but clearly a dream. All her life, no one wanted  _ just _ Catra. She was simply accepted as a necessary part of having Adora around. When she woke up, the sword was gone, and Adora was there to lecture her about getting better scores. It didn’t matter. She had two days left and she wasn’t wasting them on training. Not that she could tell Adora that. Shadow Weaver would just wipe her memory and kill Catra even more painfully.

Back in the Fright Zone, Catra was tormented by dreams of the sword. She had to find it just so she could have closure before she died. As she slipped out, she didn’t bother waking up Adora. Catra would be back soon enough.

…………………..

The princesses were already there when she arrived. The woman with the purple hair was waving some wand around the sword’s golden hilt while the strange girl wearing clawed gauntlets fretted.

“This is the piece of tech?” she asked. Her voice was low and worried.

“Yes!” the purple-haired one had no such qualms. Catra winced as she excitedly yelled. “I’ve never seen an energy signal like this. Imagine the possibilities….”

“Let’s not blow anything up this time.” The clawed girl said.

“No promises!”

“But-”

“Sometimes science requires the sacrifice of eyebrows.”

“My hair still hasn’t grown back since the bot incident.”

“The short hair is easier to maintain in a combat zone. I say it’s a blessing in disguise.” The wand blinked in the purple-haired woman’s hand. “These readings are off the charts…. I need my scanner to properly triangulate it.” The white-haired girl blinked. The purple-haired woman sighed and turned around, gesturing to the bag of equipment on the ground.

Catra stopped listening and swooped down from the trees, grabbing the sword from the bush. The clawed woman gasped, and light exploded into the clearing. Catra dashed away as light clouded her vision. Then, something stuck into her side and the blinding light became darkness.

_ “Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?” _

_ A purple glitching woman appeared before Catra and cocked her head. She regarded Catra with confusion and a little disbelief before she disappeared. A room solidified around Catra; a strange dark chamber with a large cube suspended overhead. The square pulsed with multicolored light as the voice from before spoke again. _

_ “Find the sword. Claim your birthright. Balance Etheria. The time to act is now.” The voice started to fade along with the rest of the room. _

_ “Wait,” Catra called as everything dimmed. “Who are you? What is this place?” _

_ “You must act now. Etheria needs you.” _

_ “Come back!” _ Catra jolted awake.

“….is unarmed, yet wears the Horde emblem. Perhaps a spy? Though whether this subject is a spy for or against the Horde remains to be seen.” Someone was talking to her left. “Oh, she appears to be awake. Quite soon after being stung. Could she have partial immunity-”

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry I stung you.” the white-haired girl interrupted as the purple-haired woman continued to talk. Catra was cradled in the arms of the white-haired girl, hands bound in front of her. She noticed with a start that the girl’s clawed appendages were, in fact, her arms, rather than a kind of armor. She also had a barbed tail. Did that mean she was a Beast too? “We just can’t let you have the sword.”

“The sword!” Catra sat up as best she could and searched for it frantically. “Where is it?”

“You’re from the Horde.” The woman said simply, clicking off a recorder in her hand. “Tech this strong would have catastrophic consequences in your hands.”

“Because it’s so safe with you two.” Catra scoffed. “I almost stole it less than an hour ago, though stealing is hardly accurate. It’s mine. I found it first.” It wasn’t stealing if it was her sword. Not that Catra was above theft.

“Any weapon can be commandeered during the war effort and legally used until it can be safely returned to its original owner. That makes it ours by law.” the purple-haired woman explained.

“And you are?”

“Oh, I’m Scorpia.” The clawed girl offered with a smile.

“That’s Entrapta.”

“Scorpia, don’t offer our names to the subject.” Entrapta reprimanded lightly. “If she were to return to the Fright Zone, knowing our identities could be compromising.”

“Oops.” Scorpia grimaced. “She seems nice, though. She’s a Horde soldier, and she hasn’t tried to kill us at all.”

“Yeah, I’m a real sweetheart.” Catra flashed her fangs at Entrapta, who didn’t seem threatened.

“I don’t know you, but I’d say based on your demeanor and appearance that your assertion would be false.” Entrapta stated simply. “Was your statement an attempt at sarcasm?”

“You’re not the people person of this duo, are you?”

“When it comes to socialization,” she paused for a moment. “I will admit more experimentation would be beneficial.”

“Entrapta’s a genius.” Scorpia cut in. “When we get back to Animalia, she’s gonna turn that sword into some serious tech for the Rebellion.” Catra paled.

“Wait, you’re with the Rebellion?”

“Of course. I’m a commander and Entrapta-”

“Scorpia, valuable intel leak.” Entrapta cut her off. Scorpia swallowed hard.

“I mean, no. We’re normal citizens, out on a hike. We are definitely not Princesses.”

“You’re Princesses?!” fear clawed at Catra’s chest. All this time, she had let herself be carried through the Woods by a couple of dangerous rebel insurgents.

“Oh no.”

“Vital intel breach.” Entrapta turned her recorder back on. “Subject has been exposed to my and Scorpia’s identities and must be immediately detained once we’ve returned to Animalia.”

“I don’t think so.” Catra leaped out of the clawed girl’s arms and landed gracefully on the ground in front of her. She cut off the ropes with her claws and extended them further, brandishing them at the duo. “Why don’t you just hand over my sword so I can be on my way.”

“No can do.” Scorpia shrugged. Her tail extended behind her, and Catra could tell she was preparing to strike. “And now we can’t let you go either. I really need to learn when to be quiet.” She whispered to herself.

“You’ll be needed for questioning on how you managed to bypass the Woods’ defenses.” Entrapta chimed in, clicking off her recorder again.

“I walked.” Catra shrugged. “Now give me the sword!” Catra wasn’t entirely sure why she wanted the thing. She just knew these two morons couldn’t have it.

“You’re coming with us. You have valuable intel into the Horde’s inner workings.” Entrapta’s hair moved before Catra could react, wrapping around her and pinning her wrists to her sides. Catra cursed wildly, causing Scorpia to blush, but couldn’t get free.

“I don’t know anything! I’m just a foot soldier!” Catra said.

“You must have some-” A loud beeping came from the bag slung across Scorpia’s back. “Uh oh.” Entrapta deadpanned, whirling around and taking Catra with her.

“That’s the creature alarm, right?” Scorpia asked fearfully.

“As much as I appreciate the chance for an update to my fauna log, this is not a great time.” Entrapta confirmed.

“What’s going on? Put me down!” Catra demanded. Scorpia’s tone was worrying her.

“We need cover! Are there any ruins nearby?” Scorpia asked, looking at Entrapta. The woman pulled a screen out of her pocket and grimaced.

“My trackerpad’s locational services are offline due to the inference from the artifact.”

“We have to fight it, then.” Scorpia sighed, closing her eyes in concentration. A growl came from behind them. Catra squirmed, trying to get a look at what was approaching.

“Are you people crazy? Put me down!” she yelled. Entrapta looked up as if forgetting Catra was there.

“I can’t release you. You’re staying with us.”

“I am not staying here and getting eaten by whatever that is!” the creature emerged from the trees, a huge hulking bug, unlike anything Catra had ever trained against in simulators. 

Scorpia let out a yell, and red lightning came from her claws, pushing the creature back. It shrieked but continued forward. Both Princesses grimaced. 

“Fighting has proven ineffective.” Entrapta noted.

“That leaves fleeing in terror.” Scorpia sighed.

“Works for me.” Entrapta nodded, already packing her bags with other strands of her hair. With less hair wrapped around Catra, she managed to wiggle free, landing on the ground on all fours. Entrapta looked up and frowned. “Hey, I said you’re staying with us.”

“No, thanks. Have fun getting eaten.” Catra scooped up the sword and tried to dash off, but the bug intercepted her path. 

Catra yelped and scrambled back as the monster’s open jaw flew towards her. A blast of red lightning pushed it back, saving Catra from being devoured. She glanced disbelievingly behind her to see Scorpia shooting at the creature, driving it away from Catra. And she was running off with vital intel and leaving them to die. Why would Scorpia do that?

The creature shrieked, focused on Scorpia now as Entrapta still struggled with her bag. It lunged, and they managed to dodge, but another attack would undoubtedly follow. They wouldn’t be able to avoid that one. Catra looked down at the sword in her hand. 

_ “Will you fight for the Honor of Grayskull?” _

Catra wasn’t the moral compass type, but she did know when she owed a debt. She knew what she had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Scorpia and Entrapta aren't Horde in this universe. There are several characters whose allegiance is different, and there's an easy answer as to why that gets revealed a few chapters down the road. However, since I am terrible at subtle foreshadowing, I bet some of you will be able to pick the twist up before it's revealed. The first person to guess correctly gets a shout-out in the reveal chapter. Everyone else gets the satisfaction of predicting something before it happens, which is always fun.  
> I have many chapters already written for this, so the next one will be posted next Sunday. See you then!


	3. Becoming Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her new power, Catra has found worth with the Rebellion. Her new princess allies offer her a way out of the Fright Zone and a chance to keep living, maybe even have a better life than she could have dreamed. But thoughts of leaving Adora behind still haunt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, chapter 2, right on schedule! This is a shorter chap, but I'm fond of it. It has worldbuilding, yay! This version of Etheria differs in several key ways, as I've mentioned, and that is briefly explored here as Catra figures out what life outside the Fright Zone looks like. Please read the notes at the end if you're interested in a glimpse of my thought process about Scorpia's kingdom (no spoilers, but it's different from in the show). Enjoy!

“Let’s stop here for a little bit.” Scorpia offered. Entrapta looked up from her trackerpad and nodded.

“Yes, a rest would be beneficial. I’ll take a few more readings while you two ask for directions.” Entrapta was a useless navigator without her tech, Catra discovered. Her tracker-pad’s navigational software was offline due to the Sword of Protection’s massive energy output, so they needed help finding their way. Yet, she could still take readings, so Catra begrudgingly handed the Sword to Entrapta to use while she and Scorpia went into the village.

Catra still didn’t know how to feel about the Sword. Earlier, as the trio fled from a rampaging woodland creature, she had held up the Sword and taken on a different form. The magic of the blade had transformed her, and for a moment, she felt insanely powerful. But, then the moment passed; she dropped the Sword, turned back into herself, and the three ran into an old First One’s ruin for cover.

For a second, she felt the kind of power she had been searching for her whole life. The kind that would make her useful and give her the ability to finally make it to the top of the food chain. Just thinking about that rush made Catra’s ears twitch. She wanted to do it again, but it had also been terrifying and sudden. Who knew being a Princess was contagious?

“Okay, so first of all, you can’t tell anyone you're a Horde soldier. We won’t want to freak anyone out.” Scorpia instructed. Catra nodded. That seemed obvious enough. “Second, you can’t look like a Horde soldier, so we need to fix…,” She gestured with a claw at Catra’s outfit. “all this.”

“What, you don’t like my outfit?” Catra smirked. Scorpia blushed a little. Barely three hours knowing each other and Scorpia couldn’t keep her eyes to herself.

“It’s…. fine.” She said eventually. “But it screams ‘I’ve come to burn down your homes’ a little too loudly.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Anyway, since we don’t have anything to cover you up with, the best you can do is take this off.” She pointed at Catra’s headpiece.

“Hey, I look awesome in this.” Catra folded her arms.

“It undermines the approachability of your already unfriendly appearance.” Entrapta piped up. “That should be avoided.”

“Entrapta’s right. You need to lose the tiara.”

“It’s not a tiara!” Catra’s tail puffed up.

“Aw, your little tail.” Scorpia’s eyes sparkled. “It’s so cute.”

“I am not cute!”

“Scorpia, tiara.” Entrapta reminded gently, pulling a pronged sensor out of the duffel bag Scorpia had been carrying.

“Right, yes. You need to take it off. It’s menacing.”

“That’s why I wear it,” Catra remembered when Adora gave her the thing. She had found it in the trash or something. Catra never asked, but Adora was so excited to present her little gift to Catra. Catra felt compelled to wear it, even though it didn’t properly fit for a few more years. Adora beamed whenever Catra wore it, making every second worth it. 

“Come on, please take it off?” Scorpia’s ‘please’ face was just as irresistible as Adora’s. Catra sighed heavily before taking off her headpiece and handing it over.

“The second we leave, I’m putting it back on.” She swore.

“Of course.” Scorpia nodded happily. “Wouldn’t want to mess with your menacing aesthetic.”

“Exactly.”

“Directions.” Entrapta reminded again. “I can’t wait to get home so I can take some proper readings.” She grinned manically, and Catra’s hackles rose.

“I am  _ not  _ letting you tinker with my sword,” Catra started before Scorpia steered her away.

“It’s best not to stand in the way of her and her little experiments. They explode sometimes. Heck, I’m still missing my hair from the bot incident, but she’s the reason Animalia had stood up so well to the Horde. Without her tech, we’d have lost a long time ago.”

“Huh.” Catra filed that information away instinctively before taking a good look around at her surroundings. This was her first glimpse of Rebel territory beyond the Woods and it was breathtaking. “This place is amazing.” Catra said, awed. Scorpia laughed.

“You’ve never seen a village before, huh?”

“All I’ve ever known is the barracks. This place is so….” It was princess-y, so much so that Catra felt slightly ill from the bright colors and sparkles that adorned everything. She wasn’t interested in how it looked, even if it differed from what she was used to. No, what she was looking at were the people. There was not a single Whole Etherian, as they were called in the Horde. It was all Beasts. Creatures like her. Ones she had never seen before. “Different. Very different from the barracks.” She finished sheepishly. She didn’t want to admit to her new sort-of-friend that she had never even met another Beast besides the occasional Reptileon. Maybe she would meet even more Beasts when she made her new home in Animalia.

She couldn’t believe she was really leaving the Fright Zone. Leaving Adora. Just a month ago, it would have seemed impossible. But then Adora outgrew her. She became a Force Captain and agreed to move on with her life, leaving Catra behind to be disposed of. Adora couldn’t know what Shadow Weaver was planning, but she was still willing to move from Catra in exchange for a badge and a squad to command. If their friendship meant so little to her, then there was no reason for Catra to let herself die for it.

That’s why she was going to Animalia. Scorpia agreed to take Catra in as a political refugee in exchange for any information she had (she had none, no one trusted her with anything serious) and her services as the strange caped lady the sword turned her into. As long as she could turn into a crazy warrior woman like earlier, she would have a place with the Rebels.

“If you want different, let’s try the food.” Scorpia steered her over to a massive banquet table piled high with foods Catra couldn’t imagine, even with her indulgence in contraband. She devoured everything in sight and leaned back happily in her chair before Scorpia dragged her off to see more of the village. She had seen the look in Catra’s eyes the moment she walked in the village and mistook it for a fascination with the town itself, rather than the people.

Scorpia dragged her all over the town, occasionally feeding her more delicacies to keep her attention. It worked all too easily. Salmon cakes would have won her over if she hadn’t already jumped to join the Rebellion at the offer of protection.

“The Fright Zone looks so dark in pictures,” Scorpia said after noticing Catra cover her eyes whenever the clouds overhead parted. It was midmorning instead of nighttime now, and moonlight was something Catra was entirely unfamiliar with. “I imagine such a bright place is overwhelming.”

“It is certainly sparklier than I’m used to,” Catra admitted. She looked down at Scorpia’s claws. Scorpia was a Beast too. An animal, like Catra. Maybe she would understand. “But there’s more than that.” Her voice lowered to a whisper as they passed a few gathered deer-people.

“Oh, is it a secret? You can tell me. I’m great with secrets.”

“It isn’t a secret, per se, just something I haven’t really talked about with anyone.” Adora could never understand how Catra felt. She was normal, just one more Whole alongside all the others. She wasn’t one-of-a-kind, alone, like Catra was. Like Scorpia could be. “There are other Beasts here.” She started. Scorpia looked offended for a second before calming her expression.

“Is that what they called you in the Horde? A beast?”

“That’s what anyone who isn’t a Whole is called. Right?” Catra hadn’t expected the terminology of all things to confuse Scorpia.

“Of course, you wouldn’t know. You’d never even heard of a First One before today.” Scorpia said sympathetically. Catra flashed back briefly to their time within a First One temple. She stabbed the sword into a little slot and got in to escape the forest monster, but they’d been stuck by a rockslide. If it weren’t for Scorpia’s electric powers digging a tunnel through the rocks, they would have been goners. So far, First Ones weren’t exactly Catra’s favorite people.

“If we’re not Beasts, then what are we?” she asked. Scorpia thought for a second.

“As a whole, people tend to call us ‘hybrids,’ but that’s just slang. Every species has its own name. For example, I’m a Scorpioni. You’re a Magicat. These people,” she waved a claw around at the village. “they’re Cervids.”

“And what about normal people? Do they have a name?”

“You’re  _ normal _ too, Catra,” Scorpia promised. The words made Catra’s chest warm a little. “Being a Magicat or a Cervid doesn’t make you weird or unnatural. It doesn’t make you a beast. But to answer your question, people who look more like Entrapta are called Sapiens.” Catra felt a question bubbling in her chest. Did she dare…..

“Are there more?” she stopped walking and stood under a tree, holding her arm and looking down at the ground. “People like me, I mean.”

Scorpia’s face tightened, and Catra’s heart fell.

“There  _ were _ . But a decade or two ago, the Horde attacked the Magicat village. My Mom says Momma was there that day, commanding the battalion sent to protect the village. Momma arrived too late and the ground was already razed. The Horde burned the place to the ground and no one made it out. At least, that’s what I thought before today.” Scorpia looked haunted by the story. Catra felt like she might lose all that delicious food.

“The Horde did that?” Catra knew the Horde was evil. It was pretty obvious and only Adora seemed not to know. Even Kyle had figured it out somewhere along the line. But Catra had never cared that she worked for an evil empire. She had planned to take over the place, and when she was in charge, things would be better for everyone. Now, Catra knew that the Horde could never be salvaged. They burned a whole society to the ground and enlisted the only surviving member as cannon fodder.

“I’m sorry, this must be a real shock. To find out your friends and family are part of an evil conquering army-”

“No, I knew that.” Catra cut her off as politely as possible. She had always known. “I just thought there might be some parts of the Horde that weren’t so bad.” Adora’s face flashed before Catra.

“I’m sure there are some good people in the Horde. People like you.” Scorpia bumped Catra’s soldier and smiled tentatively.

“Yeah, cuz I’m a paragon of goodness.” Catra chuckled humorlessly.

“You could be. You’ve already agreed to be the crazy caped lady to help the Rebellion. Isn’t that a good deed?”

Catra didn’t have the heart to tell Scorpia she was trying to save her own skin. Catra was selfish, always had been. She was the balance to Adora’s infuriatingly destructive selflessness. Adora would lay her head down on the chopping block if she thought the Horde would benefit from her death. Catra wasn’t like that. She wanted to live, and this was her chance to not only live another day but have a better life, one where she didn’t have to rely on just Adora for a reason to get up in the morning.

She could live in Animalia, eat good food, and maybe even be happy. She would learn to live without Adora. She had to because Adora certainly wasn’t going to just show up-

The ground shook, and too late, Catra heard the tanks approaching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never liked the idea that Scorpia's kingdom was just a kingdom of scorpions, if only because they are almost no scorpion people in the show aside from the royal family. So this story abides by my headcanon that Scorpia's kingdom was where all the hybrids lived, like Catra's and Rogelio's species. That's why the Horde is so populated by hybrids and non-humanoids while the Rebellion isn't. That's also why the Crimson Waste and minor Rebellion villages are mostly non-humanoids since people fleeing the Horde would have gone there or to the Rebellion and ended up in a village (rather than a kingdom) like Thaymor. Just some worldbuilding I imposed on the show because it made sense to me.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, please leave a comment and kudos because comments make my day. I love hearing from you guys and I've already seen a good few theories and ideas about what's to come. Very exciting! The next chapter is the infamous scene at the Invasion of Thaymor, so get ready. I bet Adora's gonna pissed that her cat ran off to join the enemy. See you all then!


	4. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Invasion of Thaymor goes well for Catra and terribly for Adora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday! If anyone reading this is taking finals this week, good luck! Don't forget to study once you're done here. Hope you enjoy the new chap!

Catra wasn’t exactly relieved to see Adora. Especially since she was driving a tank that leveled several houses. But, Adora was still her friend, and Catra owed her a proper goodbye.

“Catra?” Adora popped out of the tank and stared at her friend in surprise.

“Hey, Adora.” That was Catra’s fallback if she had nothing better to say.

“What are you doing here?” Adora hopped down to the ground and started towards Catra. Catra couldn’t help but blush when she saw how great Adora looked in her Horde armor, Force Captain’s badge gleaming in the sunlight. Damn her and how great she looked in fitted clothing!

“I was out for a walk and popped in for a bite.”

“Seriously, Catra.” Adora rolled her eyes. “This isn’t the best time for your-” she glanced at Catra’s forehead and frowned. “Your helmet…..”

“The rebels took it.” It wasn’t the truth, but it was hardly a lie, and Catra didn’t want Adora to be angry or think she was rebuffing the gift. Adora’s face hardened.

“Of course. Did they capture you? You can tell me if you got captured. I figured you might have when you weren’t in the barracks this morning.”

“Adora, no one captured me.” this was going to take some serious explaining. “I went back out to the Whispering Woods to look for the sword I found last night.”

“You left me?” Adora’s voice broke a little. Catra winced. It sounded bad when she said it like that.

“No, I just went out for a minute. I meant to come back, but I ran into a few Princesses-”

“Princesses captured you?!” Adora yelled.

“No! Well, yes, technically, but-”

“Are you okay? Did they torture you? What did you tell them?”

“No one tortured me! I’m fine. And if I were tortured, why would you assume I would break after just a few hours?” Catra crossed her arms.

“That’s not what I meant.” Adora sighed a little, exasperated. “It’s just that your capture is a major security breach. I need to know, if anything, what you told them.”

“I didn’t tell them anything,” Another sort-of lie. “Because I wasn’t captured. I ran into them, and we fought a little, but it turns out they’re nice. Weird, but definitely nice.” Entrapta and Scorpia had shown Catra more kindness than most of the Horde ever had. They were as nice as Adora and a lot less judgmental. If there was a whole kingdom out there of people like them, Catra wanted to see it. It was a bonus that she was escaping a painful death at Shadow Weaver’s hands.

“I don’t understand, Catra. They’re Princesses. They’re the evil instigators that the Horde works day and night to save Etheria from.” Adora looked hurt.

“No, they aren’t.” it was about time someone broke Adora’s bubble. “Princesses aren’t the ones who just attacked a civilian town with tanks!”

“This isn’t a civilian town,” Adora growled indignantly. “This is Thaymor, the Rebel fortress.”

“This is Thaymor?!” Catra’s eyes widened. “Adora, these people aren’t threatening anyway. They’re in the middle of a party.”

“Par-ty?”

“Not important.” Catra waved it off. “The point is, you’ve been lied to. The people of Thaymor aren’t insurgents or a threat. The Horde is manipulating you into hurting innocent people.”

“That is ridiculous!”

“Adora, listen to me!” Catra yelled. “The Horde is lying to you, manipulating you into thinking they’re the heroes while they slaughter innocent people.” Catra thought of her village, a place she didn’t remember but pictured as just as peaceful as Thaymor. “The Princesses are fighting them off to protect Etheria, not hurt it. I think….. I think they’re the good guys.” Catra wasn’t one to believe in good or bad, but if the Horde was evil, then logically, its opponents would be good.

“Oh. I see.” Adora relaxed a little.

“Really?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“It’s obvious now.” Huh. Maybe she did have a mind under that forehead. “You’ve been brainwashed.”

“Wait, what?”

“It’s okay, nothing to be embarrassed by,” Adora assured her with a small smile. “They have magic and could very easily trick you into thinking they’re friendly. I bet you don’t even see your surroundings clearly. Don’t worry. We’ll take you back to the Fright Zone and Shadow Weaver will fix you up.”

“Right, Shadow Weaver poking around in my head is exactly what I want.” Catra rolled her eyes. Adora waved her concerns off.

“Just hold still. It’ll be over before you know it.” She unhooked a stun baton from her belt and Catra couldn’t jump away fast enough.

“Adora n-” electricity coursed through her, causing her to flashback to Shadow Weaver’s countless punishments before she hit the ground.

“Oh, jeez. That was a little weaker than I wanted.” Adora winced in sympathy as Catra twitched. “Sorry.”

“What was that for?” Catra groaned, trying to regain feeling in her arms.

“I was trying to knock you out. I’ll just set it stronger.”

“Adora, cut it out!” She managed a weak kick, but it landed on Adora’s stomach and forced her back while Catra struggled to her feet.

“Then come willingly! Or do I need to zap you again?” Adora growled, frustration evident. “I have a battalion to lead, you know. I can’t spend all my time trying to protect you.”

“Oh, when have you ever protected me?” Catra was shaky on her feet but could leap away if Adora got too close. Thankfully, the other girl gave her some distance. That kick was probably harder than Catra thought it was.

“I’m saving you from being mind-controlled, in case you haven’t noticed. You’re being brainwashed into joining the Rebellion. You know deep down this isn’t what you want.” Adora looked at her with pity. Catra hated it. “You have to fight it, Catra. I’m not leaving without you.”

“You aren’t saving me, Adora. This is my decision.” And there it was. “I want to join the Rebellion.” Adora looked floored.

“Don’t say that. It’s just Princess magic talking.”

“Look, maybe want is the wrong word. I have to. Shadow Weaver…. She threatened to kill me now that you’re a Force Captain and you don’t need me anymore.” Catra admitted. If she were leaving, she would be honest with Adora and for once not worry about the consequences.

“Catra, she was just joking. Besides, how can you be sure that she ever said that? It could be a false memory.”

“I’m not being brainwashed!”

“That’s what someone who was being brainwashed would say!” an explosion shook the ground and the screaming that filled the air made Catra’s heart break.

“Yeah, I’m the one being brainwashed.” She snarked. “You’re attacking an innocent town, destroying these people’s homes, all while thinking you’re doing the right thing. Why can’t you see Shadow Weaver’s manipulating you?” Adora could never understand. She was too close to the situation to see it clearly.

“And what would you have me do? Throw down my weapons and skip off into the sunset with you and your Rebel buddies?” Adora could match Catra’s snark when she tried.

“You don’t have to follow them anymore, Adora,” Catra said simply. The truth was that Catra was looking forward to being out of Adora’s shadow. Deep down, she didn’t want Adora to come to Animalia with her and steal the spotlight like she always did. But Catra wanted to save Adora from the Horde, too. She wanted Adora to be safe but out of her way. She knew she couldn’t have it both ways, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

“You’re being insane.” Adora looked at her, a little disgust in her eyes.

“Maybe. But I finally have a purpose, and I’m not letting it go.”

“Really? What would that be?” Adora sneered. Catra saw Entrapta and Scorpia crouching behind some rubble, watching her and Adora. Catra looked pointedly at the Sword, and Scorpia nodded once.

“Wanna see?”

……………..

The invasion of Thaymor was a disaster. Her first assignment as Force Captain and she had failed miserably. The thought made Adora want to cry. But that was for the weak.

On the ride back to the Fright Zone, Adora could hear herself yelling for a retreat. The words tasted bitter on her tongue and rang in her ears. She was taught to never surrender, but she had studied tactics her whole life. Staying in Thaymor would have wiped out her battalion entirely if she hadn’t retreated. This way, they could regroup and return to the Fright Zone for another mission with no losses. Except for their failure.

When they made it back, Adora went straight to Shadow Weaver’s chambers. The door was closed, as it was most days, but the bright purple light shining through the cracks made it clear Shadow Weaver was in, doing something magical with her Runestone. She waited outside while a ritual she didn’t need to know about went on inside.

Adora hated magic. It was a Princesses weapon in her eyes. Shadow Weaver taught her to fear it a long time ago, whether she meant to or not, by showing her what magic was capable of. Shadow Weaver never hurt her or Catra. It was always the magic that hurt them.

But Shadow Weaver could control magic and force it not to hurt people, but to help the Horde. Adora wasn’t fond of the methods Shadow Weaver used, but the ends justify the means. If it took magic to finally bring the Princesses down, then she would tolerate it for as long as she needed to. Besides, it would be deliciously ironic if Princesses were defeated by the same tool they used to do so much damage to Etheria and its people. Damage like whatever they did to Catra.

Poor Catra. Adora wondered what her friend had been through in those evildoer’s hands. She hated the idea of Princesses touching Catra, messing with her mind. Adora hadn’t been fast enough to find her and they were in too deep, so far in her head that Catra really believed she wanted to defect. But that was ridiculous. Catra and Adora promised to look out for each other.

Clearly, she was being manipulated, turned into that big thing by forces beyond her control. The enormous woman who had stood in Catra’s place, wearing her face and using her voice, was some kind of parasite. The Princesses made Catra into a weapon for their twisted means and now it was Adora’s job to rescue her. Shadow Weaver would know what to do. After all, she was the Horde’s resident magic expert.

The door slid open.

“Come in, Adora.” She sounded happy. She must have been recharging.

Adora walked into the room and saluted her commander, waiting.

“At ease, Force Captain.” Shadow Weaver stood in front of her water basin, peering into it instead of looking at her ward. Adora dropped her hand. “Tell me, how did your first mission go?” By her tone, Adora figured Shadow Weaver was already aware of how the mission went. She was probably watching the neutralization of Thaymor through her basin.

“Unfortunately, Thaymor proved to have better defenses than intel had indicated,” Adora said formally. “I had to order a retreat to keep the battalion intact.”

“I see.” Shadow Weaver sighed a little and turned to face Adora. “And this unaccounted for defense? Did you get a good look at it?” Adora would never forget Catra’s face on a body that wasn’t hers. She nodded.

“It was…. a new Rebel. One I hadn’t trained to face.” Adora and Catra trained together all day, every day, but never in preparation for fighting each other.

“You shouldn’t lie to me, Adora.” Her voice was the same sweet tone as always, but Adora felt threatened.

“Catra has been captured.” Adora planned to tell Shadow Weaver that Catra was being brainwashed but keep secret that she was the warrior who decimated the Horde’s forces. “She’s being brainwashed and doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“You see the best in people, my dear. Your kindness is blinding you to the truth.” Shadow Weaver sighed pityingly. “I’m afraid Catra has finally proven herself a coward and defected.”

“That’s not what’s happening.” Adora defended thoughtlessly. Shadow Weaver’s room grew uncomfortably bright as she activated the Moonstone’s power.

“Watch how you speak to your commanding officer, Force Captain.” The shadows cast by the Moonstone’s light formed shapes with eyes that watched Adora hungrily. She swallowed.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” She bowed and the light died down.

“You mustn’t let your emotions control you, Adora. They make you weak, you know. Besides, there is no use mourning over a traitor.”

“How do you know she isn’t being controlled?” Adora asked hesitantly.

“That magic she wielded in Thaymor is old and powerful. It picks a host and that host must accept willingly. As for the Princesses she travels with, they are not nearly strong enough to manipulate someone’s will, even a weakling like Catra.”

“So she’s left us?” the realization burned Adora’s chest in an unfamiliar way. She didn’t understand what she was feeling. Shadow Weaver seemed to notice.

“She’s jealous of your power, so she left and found false strength in ancient sources.” She soothed.  _ You drove her away,  _ Shadow Weaver seemed to be saying. “But you have always been stronger, Adora. This is your chance to prove it.” Adora looked up from her bow in alarm.

“What?”

“Your next assignment.” Shadow Weaver said flippantly, as though it were obvious. “The one you’ll be taking on to make up for this embarrassment.”

Adora said nothing. Her knees shook slightly, but she forced the quaking down.

“Catra is a deserter now.” Shadow Weaver reiterated. “There’s only one thing we can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Called my cat Catra the other day. I've fallen deep into this fandom. Anyways, see you guys next week. Happy Holidays!


	5. Refusal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra begins to wonder if the Sword of Protection was really hers to discover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a little holiday right now and I'll be doing lots of writing for a little while. I started a zombie apocalypse AU that's been demanding my attention lately, so be on the lookout for that soon. Anyway, here's Chapter 5, right on schedule! Enjoy!

“For the Honor of Grayskull!” nothing. Again.

Catra groaned and lowered her arm. She glared at the Sword, which glinted almost mockingly. 

“I need you to work.” she said. The Sword didn’t reply. “If you don’t work, then Scorpia’s mom is gonna freak out in a bad way. I’m aiming for ‘it’s a magical warrior woman here to save my kingdom,’ not ‘it’s a Horde soldier here to burn down the castle.’ I need you to work with me, or we’ll both get thrown out.”

“Does talking to the inanimate object help you parse your thoughts?” Entrapta asked helpfully. Catra sighed. She looked over at Entrapta, who stood at the ready with a sensor. She wanted to measure the warrior woman’s energy readings and contrast them with the Sword’s readings alone. Catra just didn’t want to be alone.

Scorpia ran off to prepare her mother, who apparently was the Queen of Animalia, for Catra’s arrival. She insisted the Queen would need a prior warning before Catra barged into the Throne Room, all sparkling and massive. If Catra could manage a transformation, that is.

“I guess.” Catra said finally, plopping down on Entrapta’s bed. It was hard and small, just what Catra was used to. When she glanced into Scorpia’s room, the bed looked like it would suck her in if she tried to sleep on it. “I’m supposed to forge a connection with it, but I’ve never been good at that. I thought talking might help.”

“Connecting is difficult.” Entrapta agreed, her face saddening a little. “With people, that is. With machines, it’s quite easy. You simply have to find the right port and woosh, you’re in! People typically aren’t hacked that easily.” Catra disagreed with that. Some people were easy to hack if you knew the right ways. 

But, Entrapta wasn’t that kind of person. That was obvious even from the small amount of time Catra knew her. Entrapta wasn’t interested in manipulation, like so many of Catra’s old cohorts in the Horde. She and Scorpia were honest and friendly, even if Entrapta struggled with people sometimes. Catra didn’t mind. Friends weren’t her strong suit either.

“I don’t know if the Sword is conscious or if it’s just a machine. I don’t know if talking will help or if it’s just so I feel better.” Catra admitted. Entrapta nodded.

“With techno-organic machinery like the First One’s artifacts, that can be hard to discern.” she agreed. “Some magic has a consciousness since it comes from a person and a person is conscious. But most magic-users don’t produce their own magic and draw it from another source, like a Runestone or the planet’s natural source. The First Ones use harnessed magic to power their tech just like sorcerers use it to perform spells. They take magic from another source, whether from the environment or a person, and use it to fuel their machines. This means the Sword you have is still a piece of tech, but it could very well have a little awareness, enough to make decisions but not have actual thoughts.”

“You know a lot about this kind of stuff.” Catra noticed. Entrapta grinned.

“It’s my life’s work! I’ve been studying First One’s tech and its link to Etherian magic for decades, forming theories, making models, taking observations. I believe I can integrate First One’s tech with modern technology and turn Etheria into a utopia of scientific advancement!” Entrapta laughed maniacally. “That is if it didn’t always blow up.”

“Blowing stuff up is fun.” Catra shrugged. “It’s alright if that’s how an experiment turns out.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“This doesn’t mean you get to explode my sword.”

“Of course not! I would never…. On purpose.”

“Nope. Observations only.”

“Oh well.” Entrapta let it go. Luckily, she didn’t seem too upset. Catra didn’t want to anger her new friends so soon.

“Since you know so much about this stuff, do you have any thoughts on how the transformation with the Sword works?” Catra asked. Entrapta’s eyes widened.

“You’re asking about my theories?”

“Yeah.”

“Only Scorpia ever asks about my theories!” Entrapta dropped her equipment and bolted over to the back wall of her room using her ponytails. Catra tried not to stare. She wasn’t used to Entrapta’s living hair yet, and staring is rude. Entrapta wouldn’t notice, but Catra was attempting to turn over a new leaf. “Would you like to hear about my ideas on the mysterious Heart Project, or my inter-connective Runestone theory, or about theoretical cross-planetary portal stability-”

“Let’s focus on the Sword for right now.” Catra tried to steer the conversation back to her needs.

“Oh, yes.” Entrapta poked a large screen that encompassed her entire back wall. The room lit up, and Catra winced. “The Sword of Protection was believed to be a myth before you discovered it. Supposedly, it transforms whoever wields it into a magical being. According to my readings, the Sword’s magical signature physically alters you when you’re using it, meaning you’re its chosen bearer. The tech won’t function when used by anyone else.” Catra thought that was obvious from how she had turned into a massive lady three times already but held her tongue.

“How does it work?”

“If the legends are true, then the Sword picks someone to wield it every generation.” Entrapta poked the screen, and dozens of threads of that strange First One’s writing flashed across the screen. “The Sword’s chosen bearer takes up the mantle of She-Ra, Princess of Power. However, how the transformation happens is never described by the old legends, and I haven’t discovered a way to measure it with my modern sensors. Maybe if I had some First One’s tech, I could modify my designs to sense the Sword better, but I’m all out right now.”

“She-Ra,” Catra muttered, turning the blade in her hand. The Runestone glittered again. Catra was sure it could hear her, understand her.

“There are some inaccuracies and contradictions in these myths to be aware of.” Entrapta pointed out. “For example, there hasn’t been a She-ra in centuries, so the myth of the Sword picking a bearer every generation is a fallacy. Additionally, most of the records suggest only First Ones can use the Sword, but there is no evidence that only a First One can become She-ra. The legend of She-ra predates the First Ones’ arrival here, after all.”

“Huh.” Catra looked down at the Sword, studying it as though she could read its expression. The Sword was still resisting her; she could feel it every time she tried to transform. Why?

“If you’re interested, my pa was a historian. He had a massive library that’s largely unused now. We could go there sometime to investigate more about She-Ra from ancient sources.” Entrapta offered.

“Sometime in the future, we’ll do that.” Catra never planned ahead before. She never had a future that extended beyond Adora’s first day as Force Captain. She would have to get used to this forethought business.

“Great! Now, about your transformation….” Entrapta was still talking, but Catra stopped listening. She was distracted by a tiny creature on the windowsill, staring at her.

“What is that?” Catra interrupted. Entrapta looked up from her screen and followed Catra’s gaze. She frowned in confusion. 

“You don’t know what that is?” she asked. The creature regarded Entrapta with a flick of its little tail before turning back to Catra.

“Would I ask if I knew?”

“I suppose not.” Entrapta nodded to herself. “That’s a cat. Have you never seen one before?” the creature jumped through the open window gracefully and approached Catra.

“No, this is the first one I’ve seen. It’s majestic.” Catra’s eyes sparkled as she watched the little thing approach.

“Your name is Catra.  _ Cat _ -ra.” Entrapta frowned again as if something wasn’t making sense. “I assumed you were named that because you’re part cat.”

“I’m not  _ part cat _ .” Catra argued. Though, come to think of it, Shadow Weaver did call her ‘cat’ constantly when she was a kitten. That’s part of why Adora named her Catra in the first place. She combined the nickname from Shadow Weaver with her own name.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re a Magicat, not a Sapien-Feline crossbreed.” 

The cat jumped into Catra’s lap and started purring, just like Catra did when she was happy. She raised an eyebrow. Maybe they were similar.

“It likes you.” Entrapta noticed. Catra smiled.

“I like it back.”

“Excellent! Though, I wouldn’t get attached. That’s a likely feral cat. It wanders the kingdom in search of food but won’t stay in one place too long.” She warned.

“Let’s feed it then, so it has an excuse to stay for a minute.” Catra decided, petting under its ears. That was her favorite spot for scratching.

“Okay! I’ll get some fish from the kitchen. Be right back!” she knocked the door open with her ponytail and dashed down the hallway. She never did things slowly.

“Alright, little guy. I should get back to practicing. Check this out.” Catra placed the cat on Entrapta’s bed where she’d been sitting and stood up, hefting her Sword again. “For the Honor of Grayskull!” the blade hummed in her hand, pushing back. Catra gritted her teeth and willed the device to function. She knew it could.

_ Not. You. _

Catra yelped at the flurry of whispering voices that erupted in her head and lost her focus. The blade shot out a blast of light, which bounced around the room. Catra ducked as the blast went over her head and hit the cat. 

The cat was engulfed in yellow light. In a flash, a giant green cat was standing in its place, looking down at itself in panic. It wailed loudly and jumped out the window.

“Wait, that was an accident!” Catra leaped after it, Sword still in her hand.

Both she and the cat landed gracefully on the ground and continued running. Luckily, Entrapta’s room wasn’t very high up. Catra dashed after the animal, following it into the Whispering Woods before she realized she had run so far. Upon realizing she had wandered into the Woods, she slowed to a stop while the cat kept running. 

“That’s my bad!” Catra called as the creature disappeared.  _ I ruin everything I touch _ .

Catra looked around and concluded that she was utterly lost with only a very bitter Sword. She didn’t know the Woods or her way around Animalia. How was she ever going to find her way-

“Mara?” someone called out. Catra froze. She had had enough of disembodied voices for the day.

“Who’s there?” Catra yelled, brandishing her sword like it might obey her for once.

“Don’t be silly, Mara. It’s just me.” a smiling old woman came from behind one of the trees, a basket and a broom tucked into the crook of her arm. Catra lowered her weapon a little. The woman wasn’t very threatening.

“I’m not Mara. I don’t know who that is or who you are.” Catra said patiently. The woman clearly wasn’t entirely there. She looked at Catra like she saw straight through her.

“Hmmm…..” She squinted at Catra through her thick glasses. “You aren’t Mara, are you? And you aren’t Adora either. Then, that would make this the  _ other _ time.” The Sword of Protection’s tip touched the ground.

“How do you know Adora?” Catra demanded. If this woman was with the Horde, Catra would have to be quick to avoid capture.

“I don’t, dearie. You….. just remind me of her. A different her, from another time.” The old woman mused. Nobody had ever said Catra reminded them of Adora. If this were the Horde, it would be a compliment. But the old woman just sounded wistful.

“You’re not making any sense.”

“No, I don’t think I am. But that’s okay! You’re here now, and although I wasn’t expecting you, I am glad that you’ve made it.” The old woman smiled again. “Come along now. We must figure out why the Sword isn’t working for you.” Catra’s jaw dropped.

“How do you know about that?”

“Madame Razz knows many things, dearie. I’m happy to help, but I have a pie in the oven and I cannot stay out here in the middle of Woods letting it burn.” The woman, Madame Razz, turned and started back the way she came. “Follow me if you’re ready to accept help. If not, I suspect Queen Archania will not be as pleased to meet you.”

Catra hesitated. If the woman was a Horde operative, Catra would be putting herself in grave danger by following her to an undisclosed location. But if she wasn’t, then Catra would be denying help from a sweet old woman who somehow knew what Catra’s exact problems were.

After a long moment of deliberation, Catra sighed and raced after the surprisingly fast woman. Even if she was Horde, then she was still old. Catra figured she could take an old lady.

“Excellent choice, dearie.” Madame Razz called from somewhere ahead of Catra. Who was this woman?

* * *

“So that’s my problem.” Catra summed up, walking through the Woods with Razz a safe distance ahead of her. They were clearly going somewhere, but all Razz had done so far was ask her about her troubles and stop once to consult her broom. Razz was lucky Catra was desperate for help.

“Have you considered why the Sword is refusing you?” Razz asked over her shoulder after a moment of silence.

“Not really. It picked me, didn’t it? It…. wants me.” Catra sighed at the blade in her hand. She had it out, just in case. Not that she knew how to use it. “I’m She-Ra now, so it must have decided to accept me.”

“She-Ra isn’t a sword.” Razz laughed. “She-ra is just you. She-Ra’s power is your power, sword or no sword. But you cannot channel it yet. You’re young, and stupid.” Catra flushed.

“That’s not fair.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Well, no, but it’s still rude.”

“I’m an old lady, Mara. I can be rude if I want.”

“My name’s not Mara.” Catra deadpanned.

“Oh, excuse me, Adora.”

“It’s not Adora either.”

“Yes, yes, Mara.” Madame Razz waved a hand dismissively.

“Can we get back to you telling me I’m stupid?” Catra tried to control her tone, gripping the Sword’s hilt tightly.

“Right, young and foolish.” Razz corrected.  _ Yeah, foolish is so much better _ . “They made the Sword so that She-Ra could control her magic better. But they also made it to control her.”

“The First Ones, you mean?” Catra clarified.

“First Ones? Is that what they’re calling your people these days, Mara?”

“Yes, the ones who made the Sword and built all those temples.”

“Ah, the temples. You and I first met in one of those structures, dearie.” Razz recalled happily, again throwing them off-topic.

“Razz, the Sword.” Catra reminded, her temper flaring slightly. She forced it down.

“Oh, yes. Where is my head today?” Razz shook her head and tapped her temple with her palm. “What do you wish to do with the Sword, dearie?”

“Control it.” Catra said immediately. The Runestone flashed in her hand.

“Oh, Mara. Still so new to your responsibilities.” Razz sighed. “Have you not considered that the Sword does not wish to be controlled any more than you wish to be?” Catra’s eyebrows raised.

“It’s a Sword.” She said simply. The Sword seemed to buzz a little in her hands, offended. Catra didn’t react. So what if it had feelings? She was hardly going to apologize to it.

“It’s magic. Just like you. Just like She-Ra. For the magic to function, you must let it flow through you and ride the waves instead of forcing your will. If you fight the tide, you will drown in the end.” Catra flinched. Drowning was perhaps her greatest fear. It was the way she was destined to die from childhood.

“It isn’t flowing at all. If it is really sentient, then it’s being stubborn. Resisting, even though it picked me.” Catra argued.

“The Sword didn’t pick you, Catra.” Razz stopped abruptly and whirled around. “Etheria did. But She-Ra’s magic is intertwined with the Sword for better or worse, so you must learn to coexist with it if you are to accept your destiny.”

“What if…… what if it keeps rejecting me?”  _ What if I’m not good enough to wield this power anyway? _

“You say it’s stubborn? So are you. Be stubborn together, and don’t let a sword push you around, dearie.” Razz smiled and turned back around. “Now, you owe me some berry picking.” The trees parted and they entered a little clearing. A massive, destroyed statue of a warrior, not unlike Catra’s She-Ra form, sat in the grass, but otherwise, the whole area was covered in berry bushes. Razz began plucking some, but Catra stopped where the grass replaced dirt.

“Sorry Razz, but I have to get back to Animalia. I kind of have an asylum trial to attend right now.” She admitted. Razz nodded cheerfully for someone being ditched. 

“That’s quite alright, Adora. Madame Razz will see you again soon, yes?” she asked, looking away from her berries. Catra didn’t even correct her this time. It was nice to hear Adora’s name. Catra missed her friend.

“Yeah, I’ll be back.” Catra waved somewhat awkwardly and took off the way she’d come. Razz seemed nice enough, and Catra would certainly need advice again. The woman was surprisingly straightforward for a crazy old lady in a magical wood.

“Don’t forget Clawdeen! She’s ready for you!” Catra heard as she ran. She turned her head to look back. 

“What?” she slammed into something, falling to the ground. When Catra looked up, there was the green cat. “Clawdeen?” she asked. The cat grinned, as best a cat could, and nodded. “Well, okay then. Is there any way I could have a ride?” another nod, and the cat swooped his neck down, inviting Catra onto her back. Catra shrugged and climbed on. She’d had a weird day, and this hardly added much. Made her life easier too.

When she finally arrived back in Animalia, Catra slid off Clawdeen’s back at the entrance to the Castle.

“Thank you,” she told the cat because it seemed like what a good person would say. She was trying to be one now, after all. She nodded and plodded down into the gardens. 

Catra looked down at the Sword of Protection and hardened her expression.

“Listen,” she began. “I know I wasn’t your first choice. Hell, I’m used to being the runner-up. But I’m all you’ve got, so we’ve got to learn to work together, or this won’t work for either of us. I know you want to help She-ra, and I’m her now, like it or not, so you need to quit whining and do your job.” She growled lowly. 

The Sword did nothing in return but did get a little lighter in her hands.

“Good. Now, let’s do this again. For the Honor of Grayskull!” light filled Catra’s vision as she dramatically threw open the doors to the throne room. The chatter inside stopped as Catra walked through the hall, still glowing, and approached the throne.

“Mom, meet-” Scorpia started, but the Queen had already stood and was approaching Catra.

“She-Ra.” Catra stopped in front of the elevated throne and Queen Archania stood before her.

“Your majesty, I have come to join the Rebellion. I seek protection from the Horde because,” Catra shrank down to her usual form. The court of gathered people murmured at the sight of her Horde uniform. “I am a defector. I would be honored if you accept me into your ranks.” the Queen’s eyes went wide as she looked down at Catra’s much smaller body. Catra swallowed hard.

A huge grin broke out on the Queen’s face. “Kitty!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this, an AU where Razz is helpful? (she's pretty helpful in the canon, tho) I figured since she wouldn't be confusing Catra with Mara all that much, she'd be more coherent. She mixes up Catra with Adora, but at least those are both the present, even if they're different timelines.  
> We meet Clawdeen for the first time in this chap! Fun fact, she's a canon character from the OG series. She appears in one episode before essentially being killed by the OG BFS, which traumatizes OG Catra. Our heroes, everyone. She replaces Swift Wind in this AU because cats trump horses. 
> 
> Lastly, I have a Tumblr now, so give it a look. It'll be mostly previews of upcoming chapters and one-shots as well as reposted fanart. This way, I can just post stuff there instead of trying to cram everything into the ANs. Check it out if you get a chance! 
> 
> https://chippedcat.tumblr.com/


	6. Into the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being She-Ra is a lot of work. It doesn't help that Catra is being haunted.
> 
> Adora copes with living alone for the first time in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday! Hope everyone had a good holiday or just a nice week.  
> Here's the reveal chapter you've (maybe) been waiting for, though I've tipped my hand with this reveal a little much already. The first person to correctly guess is DancerWinner_RAYLLUM4EVER, who is also the only person to guess at all, so they get extra kudos for that. Hope you enjoy!

As Catra walked past one of Mystacor’s many reflective disks, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes. It hadn’t taken her long to realize being She-Ra was a great honor, but it was exhausting. In just the short month or two since Catra had arrived, she had done more fieldwork than most Force Captains did in a whole quarter.

Meeting Queen Archania was nice. She was definitely Scorpia’s mom and greeted the massive eight-foot warrior come to save her kingdom with a crushing hug. That was strange enough on its own, but Archania was an unusual kind of queen for several reasons. Despite all the respect she gained, respect being something Catra learned early on was only achieved through fear, she was warm and welcoming. She was more than happy to house Catra, even if the girl was a former Horde cadet. Apparently, Animalia was home to several refugees from the Horde, all of whom joined the Rebellion sometime during their stay. It was nice to know that besides the magical sword, Catra’s story wasn’t unusual.

The Rebellion wasted no time before sending Catra off on her first mission as She-ra, though she did some training first. Catra didn’t know how to use a sword since she skipped most of the weapons training in favor of honing her skill with her claws. Still, it wasn’t long before Scorpia and Aranchia’s plan to reunite the Princess Alliance was underway. The two had been planning to attempt a reunion for some time, and She-ra’s arrival was the perfect opportunity. The recruiting efforts started in Plumeria, a kingdom that Catra disliked greatly since it smelled like incense and skunk to an unbearable degree.

She, Entrapta, and Scorpia headed to Plumeria to deliver supplies. Plumeria was a strange kingdom since it was so close to the Fright Zone but resisted being assimilated for so long. Unfortunately, the place was in dire straits, and She-Ra had to demolish a Horde outpost instead of having a peaceful supply run. 

Catra hardly minded. She’d rather smash things than deal with Plumeria’s strange people who insisted Catra couldn’t be She-Ra because she wasn’t blonde. Catra heard  _ ‘All the other She-Ra’s were blonde _ ’ more times than she cared to count that day. Halfway through their visit, she shifted into her She-Ra form, who was indeed a blonde, just to get them to lay off. The Princess of the kingdom, who was aptly-named Perfuma, was nice enough. As soon as she heard Catra was a former Horde soldier, she offered her services as a counselor to help Catra adjust to Rebellion life. Perfuma said she knew something about how difficult transitions could be.

After a rest - Catra only made the outpost demolishment  _ look _ easy - the trio of friends ended up in Salineas. Catra didn’t like it there, either. The group had to catch a ride with Sea Hawk, who was without a doubt the most annoying man Catra had ever been stuck on a boat with. Scorpia and Entrapta spent the entire trip singing shanties with him. Catra just clutched the railing and thanked the higher powers that her fur kept her friends from seeing how green she’d turned. Being seasick had never inhibited her in the Fright Zone, but, apparently, being a Rebel meant traveling around a lot. She could only wish that boats wouldn’t be a method of transport she engaged in often.

Once at Salineas, the mission went off without a hitch. Entrapta fixed the kingdom’s broken gate by connecting it to the Sword, Scorpia smashed a boat of Horde soldiers, though Catra took out the rest of the fleet once she got her blade back. After that, Catra convinced Princess Mermista to join the Alliance with minimal effort. She was so impressed with She-ra taking down an entire armada that she agreed without hesitation. 

Following the two complicated and taxing missions, Scorpia insisted on a vacation, a concept utterly foreign to Catra. Entrapta was also less than exciting - Catra got the impression relaxing wasn’t something she did much - but saying no to Scorpia was next to impossible. That’s how the little group ended up in Mystacor, a floating island that mainly served as a training ground for sorcerers. Given how stressful magic could be, the entire place was designed to be as peaceful and relaxing as possible. Catra, predictably, hated it.

But, that was mostly because she had the feeling that she was being watched since they got back from Salineas. Catra kept seeing shadows out of the corner of her eye, hearing strange sounds right behind her, and generally freaking out. If the head sorceress giving the trio a tour noticed Catra jumping out of her skin, she would try to politely hold her tongue.

“Here we have the Hall of Sorcerers.” The woman, ridiculously named Castaspella, said grandly. She gestured to the long row of statues. “Every magical user on Etheria has trained on this isle, and every powerful one has earned themselves a place in this hallowed hall.” Catra raised an eyebrow. Every magical user, huh?

Catra wandered down the hall as the woman continued, searching. She found what she was looking for quickly; a tall statue tarnished from years of neglect and covered in cobwebs from a lack of adoring worshippers. 

“Who’s this?” Catra called to their guide, even though she already knew. Of course Shadow Weaver’s statue would be the only one without proper care or regular visitors. If this place was lucky enough to get rid of her, no one would want to remember that she was even here at all. But then, why the statue?

The woman came over to Catra and followed her gaze. Her eyes widened, and she was silent for the first time since Scorpia, Entrapta, and Catra had arrived.

“Casta?” Scorpia asked worriedly, walking to Catra’s side. Even Entrapta stopped taking readings of the wall crystals when she sensed something going on with their guide.

Castaspella shook her head as if dispelling dark thoughts. “Sorry, dears. I just remember this particular _ sorcerer _ .” It sounded to Catra like  _ sorcerer _ wasn’t the word Casta would have preferred to use. “This is Light Spinner, a scar on Mystacor’s past. Not only did she practice dark, forbidden arts, but she…..  _ coerced  _ a powerful prodigy to follow her when she was cast out.”

“What happened?” Scorpia asked. Catra wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“My brother, Micah,” Casta pointed across the hall to a small statue of a boy younger than Catra. “was Mystacor’s brightest student in a century. Light Spinner was his tutor, but she was banished from the island when it came out that she was performing dark rituals and having him assist her. When she left, she did something to Micah, somehow forced him to follow her into banishment. No one has seen him since.”

Catra turned to look at the little statue, another of Shadow Weaver’s victims, she was sure. The marble base was covered in offerings. People visited him regularly. Catra wondered if he was still alive, toiling somewhere in the Horde as a cog in Shadow Weaver’s elaborate plan to steal control from Hordak.

_ Catra… _

Catra’s fur stood up and she whirled around. The Hall had darkened and her friends were nowhere to be seen. She looked up at the statue of Light Spinner to see its eyes had turned purple, the same color of the Moonstone’s magic. Its head seemed to move, slowly lowering so that it could stare Catra down with those cold eyes. Catra stumbled back, only to feel a hand on her shoulder. She spun around and saw the statue of Micah stepping off its pedestal, the grip on her shoulder impossibly tight.

_ You failed me…..  _ the voice was coming from everywhere.  _ But no matter….. _ Catra tried to tug herself away from Micah’s hand, but the hard stone was unrelenting.  _ Your purpose was always to die when the time was right. I see no reason to change your fate now _ . The Hall kept darkening while Micah’s stone hands approached her throat.

Catra wailed and pulled the Sword from its harness on her back, swinging wildly at her attacker. 

“Wildcat!” Suddenly she blinked, and the world was bright again. she stood with the Sword in hand, a pile of rocks where the statue of Micah once was. When she turned, Light Spinner’s statue was unmoved. Scorpia and Castaspella stood in front of it, staring at her.

“What- What have you done?” Casta yelled, looking in horror at the ruins of Micah’s statue. “You have destroyed a sacred monument of the fallen!”

“Catra, I know you’re stressed, but that isn’t an excuse to destroy stuff.” Scorpia sounded disappointed. Catra winced.

“It attacked me!” she argued, realizing too late how ridiculous she sounded. 

“Nothing is attacking you, Catra. You’re safe here.” Scorpia promised, hurt still evident in her voice. “You should say you’re sorry.”

“But it was self-defense!”

“In the Rebellion, we don’t break people’s things and not apologize.”

“Don’t lecture me!” Catra snapped, but the look on Scorpia’s face was slowly cooling her defensiveness. She sighed and replaced the Sword in its sheath, relaxing her posture. 

“Is there something you would like to say to Castaspella?”

“It was an accident. I didn’t mean to break your stuff.” Catra acquiesced. Sorry wasn’t a part of her vocabulary, even if apologizing in subtler ways was slowly becoming easier. She’d sworn to never say sorry to anyone, ever.

“She’s sorry she broke your statue.” Scorpia translated, facing Casta.

“Apology very much  _ not _ accepted! The tour is over.” Casta all but snarled. Catra’s ears hung down. That hurt.

“Come on, Wildcat, let’s leave her alone.” Scorpia grabbed Catra’s arm and pulled her down the hall.

“I really didn’t mean to,” Catra said again.

“I know. But that was really irresponsible, intent aside. You can’t break things just because you’re upset.”

“I’m learning that now.”

“Good. Now, let’s see if we can destress you so you don’t destroy anything else.”

Catra let herself be led towards the beach, where Entrapta was taking samples of the clouds rolling in. She looked behind her towards the Hall again and could swear she saw Micah’s statue standing in the doorway, watching her. But then she blinked and the image was gone.

* * *

The napping was great, then some sorceress had to go and ruin it by trying to cleanse her aura. Perfuma had tried, and the stains just weren’t coming out of there. Why did this woman even bother?

After the incident in the Sorcerer’s Hall, Scorpia had wanted to go to the Steam Grotto. Catra objected fiercely. She was sure she came off as rude, but she needed to get her point across, and rudeness was sometimes just the best option for that. Entrapta was disappointed at the loss of water samples, yet perked up again when Catra presented her with one of the magical crystals hung on the walls all over Mystacor. Scorpia gave them both a disapproving look, but once she saw Entrapta’s happiness, and Catra explained no one would miss a single crystal, she agreed to overlook it.

Once that was settled, things went well. Catra got dragged from one activity to another, which usually involved her napping while Scorpia talked and Entrapta made observations. Still, she was actually starting to enjoy herself. She didn’t even notice she’d been dragged to get a cleaning until it was almost too late. 

“It’s easy, Catra. They just remove some of the tarnish you get in your aura from going about daily life.” Scorpia explained as the trio stood outside the little massage hut. “It feels great, too. Like a relaxing bath.” Catra’s fur stood on end.

“My aura is pretty much all tarnish, and baths are the furthest thing from relaxing.” Catra folded her arms.

“Ma’am, if I may,” the sorceress appeared behind Catra and placed a gentle hand on her arm. Where the woman’s fingers touched, purple sparks rose. Catra shrieked before jumping back. The magician looked at her with shocked eyes. “By the gods-”

“What did you do to me?” every inch of Catra’s fur stood on end, and everyone in the room went quiet to stare.

“The Moonstone.” The sorceress said. “But how? It’s been lost for a generation.”

“You mean that purple thing Shadow Weaver loves so much?” Catra sneered. “It’s hardly lost. The Fright Zone has a whole chamber dedicated to housing it.”

“The Fright Zone has a Runestone?” Entrapta’s voice went up an octave. She sounded somewhere between afraid and excited. Scorpia looked merely afraid.

“You’ve used it?” The magician asked in awe.

“Of course not!” Shadow Weaver almost killed her once for just touching it.

“Then how could you possibly have so much residual magic stored up in your body?”

Catra’s heart stopped.

“I-” everyone was staring at her. Her vision started to fray and her heartbeat in her ears was far too quick. 

“Catra?” Scorpia’s voice sounded like it was coming from underwater. Her shadow shifted behind her and grew purple eyes. Catra stumbled through the door behind her and dashed away on all fours.

She had magic in her, the same dark stuff Shadow Weaver used to punish her for years. It was  _ inside _ her somehow. The thought made her feel dirty.

Catra stopped running in the middle of a big grassy field. It was near Mystacor’s edge, so no one was around. She needed a minute to herself. Catra leaned over, breathing deeply, and tried to control the onslaught of emotions hitting her.

“Not doing so hot, are we?” Adora’s voice came from nowhere. Catra’s spine straightened into a rod.

“Adora?” she called. Adora couldn’t be here, but the voice had come from right behind her.

“My little pet, so far from home.” The voice was sickly sweet. 

“You’re not real!” Catra yelled, whirling in a circle to try and get a drop on the disembodied voice.

“That’s a very hurtful thing to say.” This time Adora’s voice came directly from her right. Catra jumped to the left and turned. Sure enough, Adora stood on the grass, dressed in battle armor and holding a regulation blaster. She was clearly an illusion. Adora couldn’t actually be here, nor could she appear out of thin air. 

“You’re fake.” Catra growled. “Just an illusion.”

“The only fake one here is you, lying your way into protection from the Rebellion. When were you going to tell them that the Sword isn’t yours?” Adora grinned knowingly.

“How do you know about that?” Catra forgot who -what- she was talking to.

“Because it’s mine!” Adora fired her blaster and, against her better judgment, Catra jumped away. The blaster fire couldn’t hurt her since it wasn’t real, but it was convincing enough to her self-preservation instincts. The illusion charged and Catra made the mistake of stepping backwards….. right off the edge of the floating island.

She shrieked and sank her claws into the island’s rocky underbelly, hanging on for dear life several feet below its surface. She couldn’t get back up without partially letting go of the handholds she made herself, but couldn’t hang forever either. 

Adora loomed over the edge of the island, eyes deep purple. She grinned evilly and melted into a shadow.

“You should have stayed in the Fright Zone to meet your end peacefully. I will still catch you, and I will still kill you, and now I’m going to kill you nine times for all the trouble you’ve caused me. I’ll make you beg for the end before I give it to you.” Shadow Weaver’s hissed from the expressionless shadow. “If you’re smart, you’ll let go and save yourself the suffering. But, we both know you won’t.”

“Mystacor is protected. Even you can’t  _ really  _ come here. You have to send your lackeys to do your work.” Catra growled back.

“Mystacor’s defenses are child’s play to a magician of my caliber. I was the greatest sorceress to ever walk these halls, and soon I will walk them again.”

“Quit the cockiness, Shadow Weaver. Every powerful magic-user on the planet is in Mystacor, along with Rebellion’s strongest fighters. Attacking now will be a death sentence.”

“The  _ Rebellion’s strongest _ are locked in a closet right now by one of my spies that they believed was you. As for those strong magic-users, the fools of Mystacor wouldn’t know real power if it hexed them. I imagine they’ve already succumbed to my sleep spell, just in time to miss the eclipse ceremony that powers the defenses.” Shadow Weaver mused.  _ Oh no _ .

“You’re gonna screw this up somehow; the Horde always does. You haven’t made a single successful advance since I switched teams.” Catra tried for some false confidence, but Shadow Weaver was never one to be fooled by it.

“Save your strength, Catra. I wouldn’t want you to fall before the retrieval unit can reach you. I’ve been concocting some delightful poisons for you and I’d hate to waste them.” The shadow dissolved and Catra yelled in anger. An alarm went off above her and she could hear people screaming. That pretty much meant she was on the clock as a Rebellion fighter now. Protecting the innocent was a big part of the job description.

“So much for my relaxing vacation.” Catra groaned to herself. “Then again, if I don’t fall to my death, that’s a good day.” She glanced down and instantly felt her head spin. That had been a bad idea.

“Okay, Catra, what can you do?” she mused. It seemed like her only option was to climb back up and stop Shadow Weaver before she could take over Mystacor, but both of those were a lot easier thought than done. Catra was a pretty good climber, but she’d never faced such a drop. If she fell, it would be worse than a broken arm and a ‘punishment session’ with Shadow Weaver. 

Still, falling seemed like the better option to whatever Shadow Weaver was planning to do to Catra once the Horde got to her. The thought gave Catra the courage to release one of her handholds and swing up, gaining a bit of ground. She dug her feet into the rocks as well, using them to propel her other hand upwards. After some careful climbing and one very close call, she managed to grab a handful of grass and pull herself back onto Mystacor’s lawn. Just in time too, if that large ominous cloud over the Ceremony Hall was anything to go by.

Catra steeled herself for what was waiting for her as she ran, preparing herself for the battle that was a long time coming. Shadow Weaver had been unknowingly training her to fight the Moonstone’s magic for years. It was time to put that knowledge to good use. 

“Well, well. The cat came back.” Shadow Weaver chuckled as Catra burst into the Ceremony Hall fully transformed. She-Ra’s natural glow contrasted the room’s darkness and allowed Catra the small bit of light she needed to see. “It hardly matters. You’re too late to stop me now. The eclipse will be over in moments and the Horde will finally claim this place, just as I once foretold.” 

Shadows were everywhere, and the voice of Catra’s commander echoed all around her. Catra did her best to stay calm while engulfed, relying on the natural confidence boast being She-Ra gave her.

“I know you used to live here, training students.” Catra called, searching through the darkness for any way to restore Mystacor’s defenses. She was no magician, but she was quite resourceful. “What happened,  _ Light Spinner _ ?” a hiss sounded right next to Catra’s ear and she swung the Sword, dissipating a shadow.  _ Great, only a thousand to go _ , she thought with an internal sigh.

“The moniker never suited me.” Shadow Weaver growled. “Those fools only saw power in light and cast me aside for recognizing beauty in darkness. They let me train their underlings, do the dirty work of teaching the basics until they snatched up promising students and filled their heads with propaganda. They manipulated powerful beings into turning their back on magic’s truest source.”

“The only manipulator is you.” if Catra could keep her talking, she might be able to pull something off. “All my life, you let me think I was useless, and now I’m the most powerful being on the planet! How does it feel to be so wrong?”

“You’re still useless. Without that Sword, you’re just another Magicat, just like the thousands the Horde slaughtered.” The voice came from above her, and when she looked up, she saw that the sky was still visible. The eclipse was ending.

“So why spare me? Did you steal me, like you stole Micah?” Catra demanded.

“I didn’t steal you, Catra. You arrived in a box in the Fright Zone, and believe me, if Adora hadn’t found you first, you’d be ashes in the incinerator right now. I didn’t steal Micah, either, though I’m sure that’s what these fools told you.” Shadow Weaver chuckled. Catra leaped onto a ledge and steadily grew closer to the lenses. If she could just reach them, then maybe she could do something.

“No one follows you willingly. You raised Adora and me, and neither of us are particularly fond of you. Constant abuse doesn’t make you a loveable mother, I suppose.” Catra mused and Shadow Weaver snarled. A dark tendril curled around Catra’s arm, and she shook it off with a yelp. 

“I was hard on you because you’re weak and unruly! The strong know who to follow. Micah was the only person on this entire island who saw I was right about where true power lies. Adora will rule the Horde by my side one day. All my efforts to toughen her up will be worth it. You, on the other hand, have always been a lost cause.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve toughened me up plenty!” Catra leaped up and sank the claws of her left hand into the wall, raising up the Sword so that it reflected the retreating light of the eclipse right into the lunar lenses. The room filled with light, and the shadows vaporized. “You made me who I am, and I’ll make sure you regret it.” 

* * *

All Adora ever wanted was to be a Force Captain, the first step on her fast track to becoming Shadow Weaver’s Second. It took her less than a week to realize that her dream wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. 

That first night alone in her new quarters was the loneliest night she’d ever had. There was no one around her talking or shifting or snoring, no warm weight at the end of the bed. Adora laid awake in the disturbing quiet, wrapped in the blanket she’d taken from her old bunk because it smelled like Catra. The next night, when the blanket’s scent had faded and the silence began to grate on her, it was even worse. She had done no training to exhaust her and had no one around she could turn to for comfort. She was a Force Captain now. People looked up to her. She couldn’t afford to be weak.

The good news was she wasn’t alone during the day. The Force Captain Orientation lasted an entire month. It took up the time she would typically spend training, letting her escape her thoughts for most of the day. There, she was able to keep busy and be surrounded by the familiar buzz of noise she associated with the barracks and squad training.

She even had a Force Captain partner.

“In addition to your squadron, I’m assigning another Force Captain to your team.” Shadow Weaver told Adora the day after Orientation ended. Adora was finally ready to start taking on her duties, and needless to say, she was quite excited.

The door to the Moonstone Chamber opened and Adora turned to see the new arrival.

The girl was not what Adora was expecting. She was short and stout but carried an air of confidence and a big magical staff, which made up for her less than intimidating stature and bright pink hair. She looked out of place among the red and green aesthetic of the Horde.

“Force Captain Glimmer is my apprentice.” Shadow Weaver introduced the new girl. “I trust her magical prowess will serve you well on your missions.” The girl, Glimmer, nodded, and Adora saw some sparkles on the underside of her short-cropped hair. Strange.

“Are you assigning me a mission?” Adora perked up slightly. Her failure in Thaymor needed to be overwritten by a new success. 

“A march on Mystacor was scheduled for today at dusk, but complications have rendered that possibly void. Luckily, today Glimmer has devised a plan to infiltrate the All-Princess Ball next week, which will serve as a replacement excursion for the takeover of Mystacor.”

“You want me to take over the Kingdom of Snows?” That would be a big ask for a fresh Force Captain.

“Of course not. The kingdom is completely neutral and has actively resisted joining the Rebellion. If we were to make a move on them now, they would likely reconsider. Besides, their Princess is but a child. When the time comes, the kingdom will fall easily.”

“Then-”

“Every Princess will be attending this Ball and it has a strict non-violence policy. They will all leave their weapons at the door, which means it will be the perfect opportunity for us to seize the Sword of Protection.”

“Why do we need Catra’s sword?” Adora asked without thinking.

“It isn’t hers.” Shadow Weaver hissed. Adora swallowed hard and Glimmer winced slightly. “She just had the fortune to find it first. I believe if we obtain the Sword, we can utilize its power for ourselves. The Horde could have its own She-Ra.”

“Not like the mongrel is using its full potential anyway.” Glimmer muttered under her breath. Adora resisted the urge to growl at her. She didn’t need to protect Catra anymore. She made her choice.

“Even if it cannot take on another host, the Sword’s energy can still be harnessed and used to aid the Horde’s magical capabilities.” Shadow Weaver continued, ignoring Glimmer’s comment in a silent show of agreement.

“The mission perimeters are to infiltrate the Ball and steal this sword, correct?” Adora clarified.

“And carry out your initiation.” Shadow Weaver added. Adora paled.

“Are you sure that’s necessary-”

“Are you questioning me, Force Captain?”

“No, Ma’am.” Adora looked down at the floor.

“I hope not. You know better, after all.” Shadow Weaver placed a hand under Adora’s chin. It was too tight to comfort her. “Every Force Captain has an initiation, Adora. You are special, but the rules must be abided by all the same. You understand, don’t you?”

“Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

“Good. Now, Glimmer will debrief you on your mission and take you to Tech Master Bow’s office so that you can be properly equipped.” Shadow Weaver dismissed them, and Glimmer immediately grabbed Adora’s hand before dragging her down the hallway.

“Come on, you’ll love Bow. Everyone does.” She laughed.

“Wait, I need a debriefing!” Adora said as they raced down the halls at breakneck speed. She certainly wasn’t expecting this from how subdued Glimmer acted in the Moonstone Chamber.

“Oh fine.” Glimmer slowed significantly. “So we enter the Ball as patrons while Bow poses as an ice guard and locates the Sword by running the weapons check-in. After you complete your initiation, we detonate heat bombs to distract the Princesses as we retreat. Sound good enough for you?”

“How do we get into the Ball as patrons?”

“We use my invitation. It’s an  _ All-Princess _ Ball, so I was invited.”

“You’re a Princess?” Adora demanded, yanking her hand away from the other girl. 

“I thought everyone knew that.” Glimmer frowned. “My mom’s Queen Angella. You know her, don’t you?” Adora had indeed heard of Commander Angella, whose kingdom had offered refuge to Hordak in the Horde’s early years. Angella retired a few years ago, though, and Adora had never heard of her having a child.

“I guess that explains the magic.” Adora said. Magic was bad enough, but a Princess? Did Shadow Weaver really expect her to work with someone so inherently evil after teaching Adora about Princesses for years?

“Actually that comes from my dad, Micah. He was Shadow Weaver’s last apprentice.” Glimmer explained. “That’s not important, though. I don’t want to be judged on my parents' accomplishments. I want to make my own. That all starts next week at the Prom. You, Bow, and I are gonna start leaving our mark.”

Unfortunately, leaving a mark was exactly what Adora was dreading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, the Horde took over Brightmoon instead of Scorpia's kingdom! You may already know, but I'm hoping I managed to get the jump on at least a few of you. Let me know if you knew this was coming or if you're SHOCKED and STUNNED!  
> Anyway, so next time I post a chapter, it'll be a new year, which is pretty exciting for me! My goal before the year ends is to finish all my WIP one-shots I've got laying around, so that'll be good for you guys. I have a preview of one posted on my Tumblr already, so if you want to see that, check out ChippedCat on Tumblr.  
> See y'all next year!


	7. To the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad and Super Pal Trio head to the Prom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy not-2020 everyone! First chap of the new year! This is more of a transitionary chapter, but there's some wholesome Scorptra friendship that was fun to write, so you can all enjoy that. Hope you guys like the chapter!

The Rebellion gave Catra a week off for almost dying. Unfortunately, instead of relaxing in a nice sunny spot somewhere on the castle’s roof, Scorpia talked her into attending a ball. She promised Catra a night of laid back fun, perfect for getting her mind off Shadow Weaver. It would have been nice if the night went that way.

Princess Prom was a party, which Catra didn’t have much experience with but remembered fondly from Thaymor and Plumeria. Unfortunately for her, but luckily for the Rebellion, the Prom was being hosted by Frosta, one of the last Princesses who hadn’t joined the Alliance. This meant while everyone else was unwinding at the fun shindig, Catra would be on the clock recruiting an eleven-year-old. Still, Scorpia insisted Catra should try her best and carve out a little party time. Catra suspected Scorpia was planning to ask her to dance, but Catra thought of a good way around that.

“I still can’t believe you’re making me wear a dress.” Catra griped. Scorpia smiled at her in the mirror. 

“I wanted us to match. Entrapta’s not dressing up at all since she’s just going for the data, but I’m making her wear her red goggles. That way, we have a collective color scheme. I’m wearing a red dress, you’re wearing a red dress, and Entrapta has her red goggles.” Scorpia shrugged.

“Why is she wearing goggles?” Catra frowned.

“It’s what she feels comfortable in and I don’t want to push her.”

“What if I don’t feel comfortable in a dress?”

“Entrapta has precise and well-explored limits on her comfort zone that I’ve learned to respect over the years. You’re just a brat.” Scorpia grinned again, and Catra chuckled.

“Wow. Call me out, why don’t you.”

“It’s for your own good, Wildcat. Besides, if you don’t like the dress, we’ll get you a suit for the next ball.”

“We did ballroom dance training in the Horde in case we ever became spies and needed to blend into Etherian high society. A ball is a great place for an assassination since there are unmanned exits and people are typically off their guard.” When Catra saw Scorpia’s somewhat concerned face, she hurried on to her point. “Anyway, when we trained, Adora and I were paired every time. She always wore a dress, and I always wore a suit. Typically a dancing pair would be a girl and a boy, but since there were only two boys in our unit, Rogelio partnered with Lonnie, and Kyle had to be the person we were assassinating.” Catra smiled a little, remembering how Lonnie had stabbed Kyle in the gut without telling him the knife she was armed with was collapsible. That boy could scream like no one’s business.

“You talk about Adora a lot. Were you two close?” Scorpia had only seen Adora once when she was leading the command on Thaymor. Needless to say, she hadn’t made a good impression on Catra’s new friends. 

“Yeah, we were close. Best friends for as long as I can remember.” Catra tried to ignore how bitter the word  _ were _ tasted as she spoke it. Some part of her, deep down, still believed she could keep her friendship with Adora. It was a ridiculous hope, but Catra had been head-over-heels in love with Adora for over a decade. Feelings like those weren’t going to die just because she was on the other side of the war now. Catra didn’t know how, but she knew she wanted to keep her relationship with Adora civil, at least while they weren’t trying to defeat each other in battle. 

“I’m sorry that you had to leave her behind, Catra. That must have been hard.” Scorpia interrupted Catra’s thoughts. Catra flinched.  _ I really did leave her behind _ .  _ I never thought I could be that selfish. _ “But look on the bright side. You’ve got Entrapta and me now. Super Pal Trio!”

“Are we really calling ourselves that?” Catra grimaced.

“What, I think it works.”

“I prefer the Catra crew.”

“Nah. Entrapta and I already agreed on Super Pal Trio, so it’s official.”

“Do I not get a vote?”

“You do, but you’ve been outvoted. That’s how democracy works, I’m afraid.”

“Yes, because a Princess would know all about democracy.”

“I’ll be Queen someday, you know, and when I am, I’m going to listen to all my subjects and make the kingdom a better place for them.” Scorpia swore.

“Animalia is a great place, Scorpia, and your mom is the best commanding officer I’ve ever had.” Catra admitted. She had only had one commander before, and Arachnia won solely by not threatening to drown her once a week.

“A queen and a commanding officer are two very different things,” Scorpia said.

“Next thing I know, you’re gonna be telling me that a mom and a commanding officer are different.” Catra scoffed. Scorpia looked pained.

“Your life was really sad.”

“Some people have a bad day. I had a bad life.”

“Not anymore.” Scorpia said confidently, finally finishing Catra’s hair. “You’re with us now, and the Super Pal Trio is going to a party. And, we are going to have fun!” she pumped one of her pincers in the air. 

“That reminds me, we’re not going to attend as a group.” Catra cut in. Scorpia’s eyebrow raised.

“Huh?”

“Entrapta is going solo since she’s conducting an experiment, I’m going solo since I’ll be on a diplomatic mission, and you’re going with Perfuma.” Catra stood up and rummaged through her dresser. 

“Since when am I going to prom with Perfuma?” she seemed genuinely curious as she watched Catra take out several headpieces. She had been banned by her friends from bringing the Sword or wearing her helmet, both too menacing for this occasion, but didn’t feel right wearing nothing.

“Since I asked her for you yesterday. I borrowed Entrapta’s pad and dropped her a line. You’re picking her up in half an hour.” Catra said casually.

“Why?”

“Because I know you like her, and neither of you wants to go to a romantic dance alone. This is what friends are for. I think.” That was, again, another half-truth. Catra was getting good at those. Scorpia did show a little interest in Perfuma during a bit of conversation they had at the Plumeria victory party, and Perfuma had openly stared at Scorpia, though she had given She-Ra a similar look. Catra suspected the girl had a thing for muscles.

Though the two did show some interest in each other, Catra had ulterior motives for inviting Perfuma. In fact, Catra was trying to get Scorpia over her crush on her. Catra didn’t feel the same way, and besides, she was bad news; she had been told so all her life. Scorpia was pure-hearted and more genuine than Catra could ever hope to be. She deserved someone better than an ex-Horde cadet still pining for a Force Captain.

“I mean, I’m happy to have a date, but I thought we would be going as a group and hanging out all night.”

“We will be hanging out all night, Scorpia.” Catra promised.  _ Unless you get tired of me _ \-  _ No, bad brain. Be more positive _ , she scolded herself. “When I’m not recruiting, I’ll be with you guys, Entrapta will likely join the group to study us while we chat, and I bet other members of the Alliance will be there too. By the end of the night, you’ll be sick of us.”

“That will  _ never  _ happen.” Scorpia assured her fiercely. Catra blushed and coughed for an excuse to cover her face. 

“If it does, I bet Perfuma would be happy to dance with you.”

“Dancing does sound nice.” Scorpia sighed a little, smiling for the first time in a while. “I’m not great in groups, but spending time with the other Princesses does sound nice.”

“See? It’ll be great.” Catra finally selected a triangular red tiara that came to a point around a blue gem. It was Princess-y enough to help her blend in. She looked at her now-completed outfit in the mirror, holding in a cringe at how not-herself she looked. Dress, boots, hair all done up in a ponytail, plus the tiara. So strange. Still, she looked pretty great. Changing up her style could be a good thing. “Well, I’m ready. You?”

“Should we go over the invite one more time? As much as the Prom is about partying, rules are critical and we wouldn’t want to disrespect the Hostess and risk getting thrown out.” Scorpia pondered, pulling the invite from the pocket of her dress. 

“That thing has more rules in it than the Force Captain Handbook. No thank you.” Catra moaned, hunching back her shoulders the best she could in her dress. Shadow Weaver got Adora that book for her graduation into Ninth-Year, and she must have read that thing cover to cover ten times. Catra read the first chapter and went cross-eyed. Maybe it was a good thing she never became a Force Captain. “Besides, aren’t we Rebels? Let’s just rebel!”

“Rules are put in place for a reason. Like this one: ‘thou shall not descendeth the stairs in an improper manner, may thou risk an unfortunate step and an imprudent tumble.’ We have to go down the stairs this way so we don’t fall.” Scorpia draped the impossibly large invite across the vanity and pointed with a pincer.

“And this one: ‘no knees shall be seen, lest thou be guilty of indecency and be stoned by the hostess with the nearest object heavier than a sparrow’s egg?’ Sounds very relevant to modern society.” Catra folded her arms.

“Okay, some of the rules might not be enforced as heavily as others. Still, I  _ did _ pick our dresses because they hid our knees. Some hosts take this more seriously than others, and we don’t want to get killed at a party.”

“Great, now I don’t have to worry about being killed all night.”

“Glad to ease your worries, Wildcat!” Scorpia beamed. Catra didn’t have the heart to point out that she was being sarcastic.

“Are you two ready?” Entrapta stuck her head into Catra’s room, red goggles already over her eyes. “I’d like to arrive early to observe the rarely-captured awkwardness of subjects- er,  _ guests _ , who arrive before any of their known allies.”

“Sounds good. We’ll pick up Perfuma on the way here.” Catra grabbed Scorpia by the pincer, and the Super Pal Trio headed off on their next great adventure.

……………….

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Adora asked. Glimmer groaned. This was probably the fifth time she’d asked that since they left the Fright Zone and at least the tenth time since Glimmer proposed the mission. “There are better ways to…. do this.”

Adora wasn’t a fan of the plan at all. Infiltrating a ball was something she was trained to do but never thought she would have to, especially for something like this. Besides, she and Catra had trained to do this together.  _ But she’s not here anymore. She left you.  _ There was a loneliness to enacting a training scenario without her usual partner. Glimmer wasn’t exactly an impeccable substitute.

“The All-Princess Ball is a designated safe zone. Has been since, like, forever.” Glimmer shrugged. “Even if it is set in enemy territory, those dumb Rebels have to abide by their precious ‘traditions’ and ‘morals.’ No one will even be armed, so there’s no way the plan will fail.” 

Adora’s heart thumped heavily.  _ The plan _ . She wasn’t sure she could do it. Glimmer seemed to sense her mood.

“You aren’t going to back out now, are you?” she accused. Adora let her face harden.

“Of course not.” She snapped back defensively. “I can do this.” she was trying to convince Glimmer and herself. Neither acted convinced.

“Shadow Weaver gave you this responsibility to prove you have what it takes to be a great Force Captain. If you can’t do it-”

“I just said I could do it!”

“Good. Once you’ve proven yourself, we can start to go on more fun missions.” Glimmer said excitedly as they approached the door. She was struggling to get up the icy stairs in stilettos but was managing. Adora was glad she opted to simply wear her Force Captain uniform. It was fancy enough to pass as formal wear but still something she was comfortable in. 

“This isn’t a game, Glimmer,” Adora said. “Missions aren’t supposed to be fun. They’re functional, working to achieve the Horde’s ultimate goal of peace.”

“Nothing says we can’t have fun while we’re at it.” Glimmer shrugged. Adora sighed. The other girl reminded her of Catra a little too much, so focused on her own enjoyment that the importance of their task was nearly lost. At least Bow was taking this seriously. He had been in position for almost an hour while Glimmer and Adora had just arrived. 

“I suppose.” Adora agreed wearily to end the conversation. They were finally nearing the door, moving past the crowds of people who gave Adora and her Horde uniform a wide berth. They stopped at the door briefly. Adora took a deep breath.

“Don’t forget why we’re here.” Glimmer warned again. Adora swallowed her trepidation. “We have a job to do.”

“For the Horde.” She said quietly, reminding herself why she was doing this. Even if it hurt, in the end, it was worth it. Adora had to believe that, or she could never do what Shadow Weaver had asked of her.

“For the Horde.” Glimmer agreed, pushing open the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh..... mysterious! Also, I'm setting up Scorfuma early. I'm not a fan of the one-sided Scorptra crush, so we're nipping that bud as early as possible (and Scorfuma is so cute, I love them). Don't forget to let me know what you think down in the comments and post your theories about the next chapter if you have any. Quick thanks to everyone who comments every week, you guys have no idea how much it makes my day when I get comments.  
> Be sure to be on the lookout for the next part of my Vessel!Catra AU, which should be out sometime before the next chap of this story, and if you haven't read the first part you should. There are previews for that and my Zombie AU on my Tumblr, ChippedCat, as well as great fanart from some awesome She-Ra fan artists. Give it a look if you've got a minute.  
> See you all next week for the Princess-Prom chapter!


	8. A Night to Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we are. Princess Prom! This one is going to play out a little different from the canon, but you guys are probably used to that by now. I had a lot of ideas that didn't pan out (like Catra getting hit on by a prince and that ending predictably) but this chapter is already pretty big by my standards, so I may end up writing a one-shot specifically detailing the event from a different perspective. Who knows.  
> A quick note for this chap: any songs sung or music made by members of the She-Ra cast is considered canon in this story. This will make sense later.  
> Enjoy! ;)

Surprisingly, few people noticed the Horde officer uniform immediately. Everyone was too busy staring at Glimmer’s exposed knees to notice. When the pair bowed before Princess Frosta, the young ruler was so shocked by the flagrant breach of dress etiquette – which Adora had warned Glimmer against but been ignored – that she said nothing about the fact that they were both clearly part of the Horde. 

Of course, once people got over Glimmer, they immediately began giving Adora a wide berth and angry glares. When Glimmer and Adora split up for the night, people’s stares turned from scandalized to upset, murmuring to themselves whenever Adora passed by. She tried not to think too hard. These people were  _ Princesses _ . She didn’t care what they thought.

She was somewhat unnerved by how many of them there were. If the Ball was attended entirely by Princesses, then there was a much larger number of them. Adora had learned about a third of them in Orientation. She would have to tell Shadow Weaver immediately after completing her mission and returning to the Fright Zone. The mission had to be completed before she could return home. That’s how she ended up following Catra around for nearly an hour while Glimmer happily dashed about, appalling everyone in sight.

Catra didn’t seem to notice her, despite the attention she was attracting from her uniform. Adora realized it was jealousy because Catra was too busy laughing with all her new friends. That scorpion girl and the long-haired woman were both there, but so was the Princess of Plumeria. Adora recognized her from the mission report detailing how the Horde’s siege of Plumeria had failed after an intervention from She-Ra. Before long, Salineas’s Princess joined the group, flanked by a man who Adora assumed was her bodyguard, given how closely he followed her.

Eventually, the group wandered off in different directions and Catra ended up at the snack table, still either ignoring or not noticing Adora. She did seem to be waiting for someone. To look less suspicious, Adora was making idle chatter with a very uncomfortable but surprisingly friendly woman with bright pink hair. She was beginning to suspect brightly-colored hair was a trend among Princesses. 

“So, what is life in the Fright Zone like?” the woman asked politely. Adora was only half-listening, still focused on monitoring Catra, but the question startled her. So far, they had merely made generic remarks about the weather or each other’s outfits.

“It’s great. Nice and structured.” Adora replied with the first positive to come to mind. She ignored the dozen negative memories that popped up. Complaining was a severe offense and one she would hardly commit in front of a Princess.

“Spinny, you don’t have to talk to her.” the pink woman’s friend remarked, glaring at Adora as she had been doing since the teen had started the conversation.

“It’s fine, Darling. She’s here to have a good time, just like us.” The pink woman, apparently named Spinny, assured. “Besides, this is a lovely cross-cultural moment to help us broaden our horizons.” She said that as if she hadn’t been quite uncomfortable this entire time. Maybe she thought Adora wouldn’t notice.

Spinny’s friend Darling wasn’t convinced and continued glaring as the awkward conversation picked back up.

“You know, Netossa and I used to spend a lot of time in Brightmoon before it became the Fright Zone. We were part of Queen Angella’s elite guard. We were just married when the Horde took the place over.” Spinny continued.

“Brightmoon invited the Horde into her kingdom,” Adora corrected briskly. “Queen Angella offered Hordak and his legion safe lodging in exchange for liberating the kingdom. Hordak even gave her the honor of becoming a Commander.” Spinny and her friend exchanged looks.

“Did they really tell you that?” Darling asked with a hint of anger.

“What, you mean the truth, as opposed to that lie you just spouted?” Adora retorted.

“Darling-” Spinny tried, but Darling wasn’t listening.

“You think being assimilated by the Horde is an  _ honor _ ? They enslaved Brightmoon, not liberated it. Spinny and I were lucky to escape.”

“The only enslavers around here are you Princesses!” Adora’s voice raised, and Darling put up her hands defensively.

“You wanna say that again, you little-”

“Ladies!” a stern voice came from Adora’s right. Frosta, followed by two guards, was walking towards them with an angry expression. “I would like to remind you that this Ball is neutral ground. Please table the politics, or I will be forced to revoke your invitation.” For such a small kid, Frosta had quite the commanding presence. Adora was impressed.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Darling bowed, however reluctantly.

“Sure.” Adora acquiesced, unwilling to acknowledge a Princess’s authority. Hordak was Etheria’s only true ruler. 

The group parted as Frosta walked through them and approached the buffet table. Catra looked up from the strange circular thing she was eating and grinned. She was waiting for Frosta, probably to recruit one of the last neutral Princesses to the Rebellion! Why was she helping them? She had to know they were evil.

“Princess, may I say your fish cakes are some of the finest I’ve had.” Catra popped the disk of food into her mouth appreciatively. Adora hardly registered that Darling and Spinny had wandered off as she rushed to duck behind a pillar. It may be conspicuous, but if Catra hadn’t noticed her yet, eavesdropping isn’t what she wants to be caught doing.

“If there is something you want, I suggest you get on with asking for it.” Frosta said curtly.

“That’s awfully direct of you.” Catra observed. “Usually, a little flattery is in order before I can properly get down to business.”

“I’m not one for receiving deceitful compliments.”

“That’s just as well. I’m not one for administering them.” Catra shrugged. “I was hoping to talk to you about the Princess Alliance.”

“When I saw Scorpia was attending, I thought it might come up.” Frosta admitted. “You can tell her that I’m not interested.”

“I’m not asking for Scorpia,” Catra told her. “I’m asking you to do this because it would help end the war. The war that took your parents.” Frosta’s jaw dropped.

“You know about that?”

“Scorpia talks a lot and is bad with secrets. Queen Archania is almost worse. But that’s beyond the point.” Catra grabbed a glass from a passing attendant’s platter. “Your mom was a member of the last Princess Alliance. Aren’t you interested in following in her footsteps?”

“Participating in this war is what got my parents killed. If they had stayed in the Kingdom of Snows, they never would have gotten hurt. The Horde has never bothered us here.” Frosta defended. “I refuse to throw myself into the same conflict.”

“Yeah, but wouldn’t revenge be fun?” Catra took a sip of her drink.

“What?” Frosta looked put off.

“Look, I know Scorpia has talked to you before. She probably got down on one knee because she’s a  _ giant _ and explained in well-meaning but somewhat condensing terms that joining the Rebellion will further the greater good and save countless lives. I should know, she’s told me the same thing, and it gets old pretty fast.” Catra set her glass down and crossed her arms while Frosta stared up at her. “That’s not my pitch. The greater good is fine and all, but that’s not what you’d be interested in if you were to join.”

“And how would you know anything about me?”

“Because I was you, Snowflake. When I was your age, nobody respected me. I can only imagine what people treat you like, being a ruler so young. Have you ever considered that the Horde hasn’t attacked because they don’t think of you as a worthy opponent?” something in Frosta’s face answered Catra’s question. “I would have given anything for a chance to prove myself when I was younger. And now, here I am, offering you the exact thing I wanted. You want to show the people who don’t fear you that they should and prove to those who doubt you that you shouldn’t. This is that chance.”

“That’s quite the argument,” Frosta said after a moment of silence. “If I were to take up your offer, what would my role be?”

“Oh, nothing too hard. Mostly diplomacy and decision making. Maybe some combat situations when needed. A little punching here and there is how leadership ought to be.”

“Did you say punching?” Frosta’s eyes lit up. 

“Adora!” Adora was startled out of her listening to see that Glimmer had completely snuck up on her. “What are you doing?”

“Gathering intel.” Adora said quickly.

“You certainly look like you’re gathering intel.” Glimmer hissed. Sure enough, when Adora looked around at her position and location, she definitely looked like she was spying on Catra and Frosta. She was surprised that the guards hadn’t approached her yet. Or she would be if several of the guards weren’t her soldiers going undercover. “You’re being sloppy.”

“Gee, thanks Glimmer.” Adora rolled her eyes.

“That’s not-” she cut herself off with a sigh. She looked around and deemed it clear to continue talking. “Just don’t be so obvious. I just got back from a rendezvous with Bow. His cover is intact, along with the rest of your unit, but they haven’t figured out which sword is the magical one yet.”

“They better get moving. I want to get this over with as soon as possible.”

“Bow’s checking it against magical signatures taken from Plumeria during Catra’s visit, but since only you’ve seen it before, it will take a while to identify.”

“I can go back and pick it out-” Adora offered, but Glimmer’s glare cut her off.

“Oh no you don’t. Shadow Weaver told me you might try to get out of your mission.”

“That’s not what this is!”

“There’s no escaping this, Adora. I know it’s hard, but every Force Captain had to do it." Glimmer growled. She clenched her fist. "Trust me, You're getting off easy. You have no idea what I had to-" she stopped.

“Glimmer?” Adora asked worriedly.

“Just do your work, Adora. Then maybe we can leave, this place is freezing.” Glimmer grumbled before disappearing into the crowd.

“She seems fun.” Adora whirled around to see Catra standing a few feet away, smirking. “Hey, Adora. I figured if you weren’t going to come over, then I should.”

“Catra.” Adora greeted simply. Her heart went faster, but she forced her reaction down. She was just nervous. It had nothing to do with how well Catra’s dress fit or how nice it was to see her smiling face again. That would be ridiculous.

“How did you even get in here? This place is pretty exclusive.” Catra asked with an amused grin. Her eyes looked over Adora’s uniform and looked away when she noticed Adora looking back.

“My mission partner is a Princess if you must know.” Adora shrugged. 

“Really?  _ You’re _ working with a Princess?”

“It’s by birth only. She’s Commander Angella’s daughter.” Adora and Catra had met Angella only once while she observed them in a training simulator. Still, she was a well-known figure in the Horde before her retirement a few years back. “Not like your  _ new friends _ .” Adora sneered.

“Jealous?” Catra’s joke had a serious undertone.

“Why would I be jealous that you’ve been coerced into joining the enemy?”

“Nobody is forcing me to do this, Adora. I did what I had to do. You know I’m always looking out for number one.” Catra admitted.

“You didn’t have to leave the Horde. Whatever drove you off, I could have protected you if you just talked to me.”

“You’ve never protected me, Adora. Not when it really counts.” Catra said bitterly. Adora winced. “Who was protecting me when Shadow Weaver threw me off the training docks when we were learning to swim? Or when our unit came in last during the Twelfth-Year tournament and she made me run laps until I passed out?”

“She was making you stronger.”

“Ugh, you sound just like her.”

“Because she’s right! Shadow Weaver wanted to make us ready for the world. That’s why-”  _ That’s why I’m here _ . “That’s why I’m a Force Captain now. She took us under her wing and prepared us for greatness.”

“She doesn’t love you, Adora. You know that….. don’t you?” Catra looked genuinely concerned for her. 

“That doesn’t matter. Love just makes you weak.” Adora reminded Catra. They had learned this as children. How could Catra forget something so vital?

“Yeah.” She looked away from Adora. “I guess it does.”

An awkward silence filled the space between them and everything else faded away. All she could focus on was how thick the quiet was, even with the chatter and music all around them. This could be Adora’s last chance to have a civil conversation with Catra. She didn’t want to waste any of it.

“How’s Animalia?” she asked. Catra looked up from the floor she was examining.

“It, uh-” she clearly hadn’t expected the conversation to continue. “It’s fine. Really bright, I guess.” She poked a pair of darkened glasses stuck in her dress’s pocket. “Entrapta made me these for the glare. After so long with just the Fright Zone’s cloudy days and artificial lights, my eyes aren’t used to real moonshine.”

“I noticed that on the way here, actually.” Adora offered. “We took a skiff, legally this time, and I swear I couldn’t see for half the ride.”

“Did you do that thing where you squint and look super confused?” Catra chuckled.

“I don’t do that!”

“Yes, you do! You look like this.” Catra screwed up her face until her eyes were slits and her lip was sticking out. 

“I don’t look like that!”

“You did all that time when we first doing outdoor sims. Kyle once said you looked like you needed glasses and I punched him. Only I get to make fun of you.”

“You punch Kyle over everything. It’s a miracle that boy still has an arm.”

“Come on, Adora. It’s  _ Kyle _ .” Catra rolled her eyes.

“That’s true.” Adora hoped Kyle wasn’t anywhere nearby. Not that he wasn’t used to it by now.

“Remember when we stole his rations for like a month and he didn’t even complain once we told him it was to appease the Weeping Princess?” Catra laughed.

“That was only because you kept moaning into his ear every night so he thought he was being haunted.” Adora allowed herself a smile.

“Don’t act like that wasn’t your idea.”

“Officially, it was not.”

“Wouldn’t want something like that on your record, right?” Catra joked.

“Joke if you want, but my permanent record is pristine, especially side-by-side with yours.”

“Trust me, I know. When they were deciding to let me stay in Animalia, they asked me what all my ‘crimes’ were. Since I’ve never been in active duty, the only thing I could think of was all those infractions Force Captain Juliet was always writing me up for. ‘Scratching up the hallways’ and ‘disorderly use of a latrine mop.’” She rolled her eyes.

“Ah, yes. The mop incident. That was a crazy weekend.”

“You shaved Lonnie’s head!”

“Good thing she ended up liking it and didn’t report me.” Adora chuckled. “I’m still as clean as a whistle.”

“Turns out that by Rebel standards, so am I. They don’t care about all those minor infractions Shadow Weaver made such a big deal out of. The whole kingdom is really laid back. I got caught stealing food from the kitchen, and the Queen just had the chef double my meal size. Can you believe that?” Catra smiled at the memory and Adora pushed down another bout of jealousy.

“And you just trust they aren’t poisoning you?” Adora narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, not this again.” Catra sighed. “You’re so paranoid. No one is poisoning me, though Mermista is a little peeved that Clawdeen is eating all of Seaworthy’s fish.”

“Who?”

“Mermista is the Princess of Salineas.”

“I know that! I learned about Salineas in Force Captain Orientation.” Adora said.

“There’s a Force Captain Orientation? For real?”

“Ugh, you sound just like Glimmer.”

“Wait! Her name is Glimmer?” Catra looked like she might bust a gut. “Who names their kid something like that?”

“Apparently, Queen Angella and some guy named Micah do,” Adora replied offhandedly. Catra went white under her fur.

“Did you say Micah?”

“Yeah, why-”

A sudden change in the lighting interrupted Adora and drew her attention to Frosta’s throne. She had returned and was standing to make an announcement.

“It is my solemn duty as hostess to announce the first dance of the night. Please head to the dance floor and enjoy yourselves.” Frosta declared as the spotlight turned from her and illuminated the checkered floor ahead of the duo.

“Let’s dance,” Adora said quickly, grabbing Catra by the hand and dragging her towards the floor.

“Alright, alright.” Catra laughed at her eagerness, positioning herself appropriately as the music started. “When did you become a dancer?”

“I came here to have fun. Dancing is a fun activity.” Adora lied.

“Yeah, you’re so unwound right now.” Catra squeezed Adora’s waist. “Besides, do you honestly think I’ll believe you’re here for  _ fun _ ? You’ve never relaxed a day in your life.” Adora’s heart started pounding.

“What do you think I’m here to do then?” she asked quietly, barely audible over the music. It was a faster tempo than she and Catra had ever danced to and the lyrics were vaguely melancholic. 

_ Don’t let me go _ , the singer begged. Adora subconsciously tightened her hand in Catra’s.

“Something nefarious, probably Shadow Weaver’s idea. But I figured we could have a good time before the ball dropped.” Catra admitted.

_ Without me, you know you’re lost _ .

“Yeah, you got me. I’m here trying to do some good for Etheria while you eat fish cakes and hang out with Princesses like they’re your friends.” Adora grumbled.

_ Wise up now or pay the cost. _

“They are my friends.”

“I was your friend,” Adora whispered. 

“Are…. Are you not now?” Catra asked, voice unusually hesitant.

“I don’t know, Catra. I want to be.”  _ Don’t be weak, Adora _ . Adora could swear that was Shadow Weaver’s voice.

“You could join the Rebellion, you know. Then we could stay friends.” Catra offered hesitantly. “You’d have to get used to me being a total big shot, but it wouldn’t be so bad after that. As long as we’re together, nothing bad can happen.” Adora thought back to when she’d said those words. She had meant them then.

“You could come back to the Horde.” Adora countered.

“No, I can’t. I told you Shadow Weaver threatened to kill me. Do you still think she was joking?” Catra’s voice was bitter. Adora hadn’t really thought that. She would have said anything to get Catra to come back with her.

“I just want you to come back. I can protect you this time.”

“I have to protect myself. That’s why I left.”

_ We got along until you did that _ .

“Well, I can’t join your precious Rebellion either.” Adora hardened a little at Catra’s rejection. “I have to do what’s right.”

“I can’t believe you still think the Horde are the good guys. After everything you’ve seen tonight.” Catra shook her head the best she could while they danced. “I saw you talking with Spinnerella and Netossa. When the Horde took over Brightmoon, their home was burned to the ground. They came to Animalia as refugees with nothing. Would a  _ good _ organization do something like that?”

“Etheria needs to be united under one banner. It’s the only path to peace.” Adora reiterated the lines she’d learned from birth.

“How many people will die on that path, Adora?” Catra asked.

“I know you don’t care about stuff like that. Why get so righteous now?” Adora accused.

“Seeing the carnage the Horde has wrecked for myself changed my perspective. I may not have those fancy ‘morals’ you’re always flaunting, but I’m trying to be a better person, and a part of that is caring about people you don’t personally know.”

“It’s good to know that I was never good enough for you to change for.”

“Adora, no, that’s not…..” Catra kept talking, but Adora’s eyes met Glimmer’s from across the dance floor. She was standing off the floor, watching Adora closely. She likely had been for some time. Adora was out of time, lest she fail.

“Catra,” Adora interrupted as Catra started explaining all the steps she was taking to improve herself. “Please, come back to the Horde. I need you.” __

_ Without me, you know you’re lost _ .

“You don’t need me, Adora. I’ve known that for a long time.” Catra sighed.

“Please.” Adora put all her begging into this. This was her one chance.

“No, Adora,” Catra said firmly. “And you need to stop that. You’re hurting me.” Adora’s grip went from Catra’s hand to her wrist, holding tight. Catra tugged, but Adora had always been stronger.

“Then I can’t hold back.” Adora felt herself tear up. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

“You’re wh- AGH!” Catra cut off with a strangled gasp, eyes slowly making their way down to the knife buried in her gut. Adora let go of Catra’s wrist and slid the blade back into her sleeve as Catra fell to the ground. Her face was full of betrayal, and Adora had to look away.

She ran.

_ You’re not livin’ _ \- the music suddenly cut off as other dancers started screaming, noticing Catra bleeding out on the ground.

“She’s armed!” someone yelled as Adora dashed past. 

“Stop!” That was definitely Frosta, and the doors Adora was rushing towards started to freeze closed. Glimmer came from ahead of her and threw them open, holding them as Adora jumped through and slamming them behind her. Glimmer casted a quick spell and the door turned to stone, keeping everyone on the other side out of their hair. Given the number of powerful Princesses in there, it would only delay the guards a second.

“Target terminated.” Adora said shakily, Catra’s warm blood staining her sleeve. “Let’s move.”

“You idiot!” Glimmer growled. “We aren’t done looking for the Sword.”

“What?!” Adora demanded.

“You needed to wait for my signal.”

“I thought that angry glare was your signal!”

“That’s just my expression!”

“Uh, guys?” Bow popped up from behind the weapon’s check. He had shed his disguise and was aiming one of his arrows at the door. The stone was already cracked, water seeping through. “We need to go. Now!”

“The Sword-” Adora argued, but Glimmer cut her off.

“-Isn’t as important as your loyalty test, which I assume you passed given the angry Rebels.” The door shook, almost broken.

“But Shadow Weaver-”

“She’ll get over it. Let’s go!” Bow interjected. 

“Have you  _ met _ her?” Adora growled.

“Besides, we got something better.” Bow continued, ignoring Adora’s protests. “I sent Lonnie and Rogelio ahead to start the ship and secure the surprise.” He released an arrow into one of the larger holes in the door. Somebody howled in pain on the other side.

“What is it?” Glimmer asked excitedly.

“You’ll see.” Bow grabbed Glimmer, who grabbed Adora, and ran to the exit as the door burst open. The scorpion girl and Plumerian Princess were noticeably absent, but every other Princess was hot on their tail, including the two Adora had chatted with earlier. Spinny shot her a sad look when Adora spared a glance behind her, but she ignored it. She didn’t care what some  _ Princess _ thought of her.

They barely made it onto the ship, and the ship narrowly escaped Frosta’s ice attacks, but after a turbulent minute of flying, they were finally on their way back to the Fright Zone. Adora felt bad for Kyle trying to escape the Princesses on a skiff instead of a cruiser, but it was Kyle. He’d be alright.

“Now, what’s this  _ surprise _ you’re so proud of?” Adora demanded. Bow and Lonnie exchanged sly glances and Lonnie patted the trunk that carried parachutes. Adora saw that the parachutes had been removed and were strewn across the ship’s floor.

“Check this out.” Lonnie chuckled, opening it. Adora’s eyes widened.

…………

Kneeling on the Moonstone Chamber floor, Adora pushed all her thoughts away and focused on her mission. Not letting Shadow Weaver know she had failed once again.

“I completed my initiation.” Adora pulled the knife out of her sleeve and held it up in both hands, presenting it to her mentor. She felt Shadow Weaver take it out of her hands and heard her chuckle.

“Well done, Force Captain. You’ve earned your place in our ranks.” She said approvingly. Adora’s chest warmed, dulling the deep ache for a split second. The numbness returned quickly. “How does it feel to be free of  _ distractions _ for the first time in your life?” Adora’s head shot up from where it had been aimed at the ground.

“ _ Distractions _ ?” She asked, barely containing her growl.

“You’re free of her influence, Adora,” Shadow Weaver sounded like she was smiling. “Thanks to my guidance. What do you say?”

“I won’t forget this,” Adora whispered. “You don’t care that she was a deserter. You just wanted to get rid of her and you used me to do it. For that, I’ll never forgive you.”

“You’ll be wise to watch your tone. I’m only trying to make you stronger. It’s nothing personal.” Shadow Weaver shrugged. That was her worst lie yet. The whole point of the initiation was that it was personal.

Adora only nodded, eyes going back to the ground.

“And the rest of your mission?” Shadow Weaver continued with gathering her report.

“We captured a Rebel Princess.” Adora deflected. “She’s in the cell block right now, awaiting interrogation. I noticed her associating with the Commander of Animalia all night, so she must be privy to some information.” The purple-haired woman and the scorpion girl had seemed close, but the former wandered off sometime in the night and Lonnie had snagged her the second she was away from any witnesses. 

Adora wouldn’t be mentioning that Lonnie had been the capturer, though. Adora was her superior. All Lonnie’s good work would be credited to her. Lonnie would just suck it up. That’s how the world worked.

“I would have preferred the Commander herself, but I am pleased that you managed to apprehend a Rebel on neutral ground.” Shadow Weaver admitted. Adora almost smiled. “And the Sword?” that urge to smile disintegrated.

“We weren’t able to identify it.” Adora admitted. The room grew colder, and a shadow loomed over her.

Shadow Weaver circled Adora menacingly. Usually, this kind of behavior was reserved for Catra, but-

“You didn’t get the Sword.” She hissed.

“No, Shadow Weaver.” Adora didn’t look up from the floor where she was kneeling. Even the smallest thing could set her mentor off when she was in a mood like this. “I’m sorry.”

Shadow Weaver’s hand approached her face and Adora flinched. However, the touch was gentle. Adora swallowed nervously as Shadow Weaver stroked her thumb over the girl’s cheek.

“This was your initiation first and foremost, Adora. I understand why you weren’t successful in your lesser duty.” She said sweetly. The room didn’t get any warmer. “However, I cannot let failure go unpunished. This is your second botched mission. I was willing to be merciful the first time since it involved your little  _ distraction _ , but with her gone, I’m afraid I must be even harder on you. I’ve raised you for greatness, and I expect it. No one is holding you back now.” 

A tear escaped Adora’s eye despite all her efforts to hold it in. She doubted Shadow Weaver would even say Catra’s name in her presence again, now that Catra was-

“One day, you’ll thank me. I’m making you stronger.” Shadow Weaver’s hand grew hot on Adora’s face and she tried to pull away. The grip was too strong and she felt her skin start to crack. “Try not to scream. You wouldn’t want to look weak in front of your commander, would you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it's what happened in the story summary. Catra will fine. Maybe:)  
> My beta sent me angry texts after I sent her this. I felt evil and I liked it.  
> My favorite part of this chapter was Spinny and Netossa, especially since I wrote this on Spinnerella's birthday and didn't realize it until later. Adora thinking Netossa's name was actually Darling was pretty fun to write. I also did a little rework of Frosta to make her personality better align with her in the later seasons, since in the show there's some personality disconnect between her first appearance and her later ones.  
> Feel free to comment, even if it's about how I'm evil (no hate, tho), because that really makes my day and is super inspiring. See you all next week!


	9. Sinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora is past the crossroads. She's picked her side and there's no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to all of you who I didn't scare off with last week's chapter. >:)  
> I'm back at it again with some more angst, but things will probably start to lighten up after season one ends. This is more of a transitional chapter before the storming of the Fright Zone next week, but it has some nice character interactions for yall. First official appearance of the Horde Kids, anyone?  
> Enjoy!

Adora stumbled back to her barracks that night, holding her face with one hand and using the other to steady herself against the wall. She passed Bow and Glimmer’s rooms, but both of them took one look at the blood rushing past her hand and said nothing, Bow’s expression twisting up with guilt while Glimmer just looked away.

When she reached her quarters, she ripped a piece of her bedding off and fashioned a bandage for the wound. She headed to the mirror to apply it, but when she finally looked at her face, she stopped. There were three claw-like markings on the left side of her face, right where Shadow Weaver’s fingers were when she gripped her chin. 

Adora had thought it was a burn at first, but the wound was bleeding too much for that. The small dresser under the mirror, where she would place personal items if she had any, had a growing red spot on it from the blood dripping down Adora’s chin. Blood just like what had dripped down Adora’s knife in the grand hall of the Kingdom of Snows-

She shook her head, getting some droplets on the floor, and bandaged the wound, hiding it from sight. The more she looked at it, the more it started to look like the small claw wounds Adora had all over from when Catra was young and couldn’t control her built-in weapons. Catra-

Everything hit Adora at once, so strongly that she stumbled to her bed and curled up in a ball like she could protect herself from the weight of what she had done. She knew she needed to prove herself and eliminate a threat to the Horde’s mission. Deep down, there was a part of her that would never accept that, and that part ached like it was a wound, raw and draining her strength every second it remained untreated. Adora doubted the feeling would ever go away.

She cried herself to sleep, clutching Catra’s blanket in her arms like it was all that mattered in the world. Its scent was long gone, but if Adora concentrated, she could still pretend that Catra was in the bathroom. Any second she would be back to sleep by Adora’s feet and laugh that Adora had missed her so much after only a few minutes apart. Adora’s dreams were filled with the delusion and she woke up feeling even worse than she had the night before, the warmth of her denial replaced by the Fright Zone’s natural coldness.

Adora stumbled out of bed just as she had stumbled into it, wandering down the halls far too early in the day so she could shower alone. She didn’t want to deal with any questions about her new wound or have anyone stare as she dripped blood down the shower drain. She’d go to the infirmary later and get properly patched up, but right then, she just wanted to wash the horrible night off.

“Morning, Adora.” Adora stopped. Of course.

“Good morning, Bow.” Adora offered as politely as she could manage. Bow beamed at her as he trotted down the hall to her left to greet her properly.

“I’m surprised to see you up so early. Most Force Captains sleep in since they aren’t Cadets and don’t have to do that crazy early training.”

“I didn’t sleep much last night,” Adora remarked without thinking. Bow’s smile melted.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.” He said immediately. Adora frowned. “I said Shadow Weaver wouldn’t mind that we didn’t get the Sword, but she _clearly did mind_ , so you were right and I’m sorry I dismissed your concerns.” Huh. So that was what getting an apology felt like. It was nice.

“That’s alright,” Adora told him gently. “She didn’t mind all that much. It was the secondary part of the mission.”

“Um,” Bow grimaced a little. “But your face-”

“Battle wound, from the target.” Adora stopped him. “I’m sure you remember. She struck me in self-defense.”

“Oh. Yes, right.” Bow swallowed hard, all traces of the smile he had worn earlier now gone. Adora felt a little bad about that. “Sorry for the confusion. I’m glad Shadow Weaver wasn’t too upset.”

“As was I. I’m very lucky. Disobeying your commander’s orders can have dire consequences. I’m fortunate Shadow Weaver was so forgiving.” Bow’s eyes went to the bandage on Adora’s face before he faked a grin and went back to holding eye contact.

“Well, I won’t keep you anymore. You’re heading to the showers, I presume?” 

“Nothing like a bracing wash to start the day.” Adora nodded.

“Great. I’ll see you at the noon meeting?”

“Yep.”

“Be sure to head to the infirmary before then. That looks like it might need stitches.” Bow waved a little and continued down the hallway towards his room. “See you in a bit, Force Captain.”

“Bye, Bow.” Adora smiled politely again and waved before he disappeared, and then she could let her face relax. Talking with Bow was nice enough – of him and Glimmer, he was definitely the preferred person to run into – but she didn’t have the energy for a conversation. She was scraping the bottom of the barrel of her energy stores. She didn’t have it in her to smile or feel happy about a pleasant social interaction. She’d be lucky if she made it to the showers and back without collapsing.

“You’re up early.” of course. Glimmer stood in the door of the washroom, pink hair dripping onto her fresh uniform. “Couldn't sleep?”

“I don't think that’s any of your business.” Adora said back. Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

“Regardless, I have to say I am surprised you were able to go through with the initiation. From Shadow Weaver has told me about you, you’re incredibly loyal and annoyingly self-righteous.” Glimmer continued.

“She talks about me?” Adora had always known Shadow Weaver had other students but until Adora and Glimmer met, she assumed her mentor would keep her the progress of her pupils to herself. It never occurred to her that Glimmer may already know much more about her than she knew about Glimmer. 

“Never shuts up, more like. ‘Be more like Adora, she just aced her explosives exam.’ ‘Adora learned this fighting maneuver in less than an hour, it should not be taking you days.’ ‘Even Adora’s little pet can fight better than you.’ She’s obsessed with you.” Glimmer grumbled. Adora flushed with embarrassment. “I hated you so much when I was little.”

“That’s not my fault. I work hard and I see results.”

“Oh please. I’ve had to cast spells until my veins turn purple and my hands shake. You pass an exam and everyone thinks you're some kind of hero.” Glimmer started growling. “You think it’s so tough, killing traitors. I bet you cried all night.”

“I repeat, that is none of your business.”

“How are you ever going to sack villages when you can’t take down one Beast without turning it into a sob story?”

“I didn't sign up to sack villages, Glimmer. Being a Force Captain is about restoring order to Etheria.”

“And you think you can go through your entire tour as an officer and never be responsible for a little violence? This is _war_ , Adora. You need to toughen up. I lost my father in a battle when I was eight! People die, get over it.”

“And what, _you’ve_ killed people?” Adora challenged. “With your own hands?”

“Yes, I have.” Glimmer’s tone lost some of its anger. “When I was still a Cadet, Shadow Weaver sent me on a mission to the town of Elberon. I was a medic, but my job wasn't really about healing. They had more qualified people to do that. My job was to take care of the unsaveable soldiers.”

Adora wasn't expecting that.

“What happened?”

“Let’s just say I kept the Horde from wasting resources on a burial.” Glimmer said. 

“Oh.”Adora suddenly felt sick.

“The point is, you need to just get over it. If you’re really the little-miss-perfect everyone thinks you are, I don't think it’ll be an issue.”

“I’ve never had to kill someone before. Let alone a friend.”

“Well good news. She’s not your friend anymore. She’s a dead rebel.” Glimmer pushed past Adora and started to walk off.

“Wait.” Adora called. Glimmer stopped and didn't turn around. “Last night. You said every Force Captain has to undergo the initiation.”

“Yeah. I’m actually surprised you’d never heard about it before.” Glimmer her voice was surprisingly even. “Rumor has it Force Captain Juliet had to interrogate her own bunkmate because of suspected treason. Sprag fought his squadmates to the death for the position.”

“What did you do?” there was silence for a long moment. 

“I don't think that’s any of your business.” she kept walking.

* * *

Shadow Weaver knew. There was no other explanation. She had to know what Adora was doing last night because when she returned to her quarters, the blanket was gone. Suddenly reinvigorated, she went back to her old barracks to see if it had been returned there and found her squadron was already training. Gods, being a Force Captain for a month had made her forget just how rigorous cadets’ lives were. She sometimes missed the structure, especially now as she desperately looked for ways to escape her own thoughts.

She searched the bunks, but every blanket was the same, and the scent had faded a long time ago. Still, Adora only stopped searching when she came across the little drawing Catra and she had made as children. They looked so happy. Had she smiled like that since Catra defected?

“Still think we’ll always be friends?” she asked, her voice a whisper. The little cutout didn’t respond.

“Hey, I didn’t want this. I just wanted you to come back.” Adora accused. “You were the one who was being stubborn. You always run away, but you’ve never stayed away. Now I guess you’re not coming back at all.” The little drawing was silent, judging her.

“Don’t look at me like that!” she screamed. “You should have come back! You should have never left me! We made a promise!” Adora pulled the still-red knife from its sheath and slashed it against the drawing, showing it who was boss. There was a quick moment after she felt the relief of releasing anger, and before she felt the sting of regret. Adora chased that moment, slashing several times in quick succession before the guilt hit her hard. She dropped the knife on her bed – their bed – and brought her hand to the carved image of her face, running it along the clotted wound. 

With trembling fingers, she picked up the knife and drew the scar onto her picture. _There, now it reflects both of our failures_ , she thought sadly.

“Adora?” Adora threw her head in the direction of the sound and saw that her squad had returned, sweaty from the training. Everyone stared, but only Lonnie was brave enough to speak. “You good?”

“That’s Force Captain Adora to you, Cadet.” Adora straightened and sheathed her knife as subtly as possible. Given that Lonnie’s eyes followed her hand motion, Adora figured she wasn’t very subtle at all.

“Ok, _Force Captain_.” Lonnie sighed. “Are you good?”

“I was just removing some graffiti from a public area.” Adora bluffed. All three of her squad members looked at the defaced picture. None of them seemed convinced.

“The art that _you_ made?” Kyle asked hesitantly.

“This _graffiti_ ,” Adora corrected harshly. “Was made by a now deceased defector. I was simply removing it to purge these barracks from acts of defiance against Horde rules.”

“Do you need to talk? You’re kinda freaking me out right now.” Lonnie offered. “I imagine you had a pretty rough night after what happened with Ca-”

“Silence!” Lonnie stopped immediately. “I do not need your help or your pity, and it would serve you well to watch how you speak to your commanding officer!” Adora commanded, cringing internally at how much she sounded like Shadow Weaver. The three cadets seemed to hear it too, collectively taking a step back. “Now get out. You’re wasting your shower time.”

“Adora-” Kyle tried again.

“Get out!” she snarled, slamming a fist into the wall next to her. Rogelio picked up Kyle and carted him out of the room by the shoulders while Lonnie lingered for another moment.

“Why are you treating us like this? We’re your friends.”

“I don’t have friends. I have subordinates. Subordinates who aren’t heeding my orders.” Adora flexed her hand and held back a wince. “Friends are for the weak.”

“You didn’t always think that.” Lonnie narrowed her eyes.

“I grew up.” She put a knife through her childhood less than a day ago. She felt a decade older but no stronger or smarter. Just more world-weary and distrustful. More tired.

“I see.” Lonnie closed the door behind her as she left, leaving Adora alone with the graffiti. She looked down at the picture of Catra with Xs scratched into her eyes, alongside the little Adora who shared real-Adora’s scar. Adora didn’t remove the drawings like she said she would. She left it there. Maybe the next owner of that bunk would learn something from it. 

Maybe they would learn to grow up before the world forced them to. It was something Adora wished she had done.

* * *

“How’s your battle wound, Adora? Healing alright?” Shadow Weaver asked when Adora stepped into the Moonstone Chamber. The bindings on it itched, but otherwise, the pain had faded into a low throb, a perfect distraction. It helped that Adora had also sprained her hand punching the wall.

“Yes, Shadow Weaver. They said in the infirmary that it would scar.” Adora told her commander.

Adora and Shadow Weaver silently agreed that referring to her _injury_ as a battle wound from the target she eliminated was the best course of action. Everyone who knew Adora had been on that mission and seen that she had not received it there, but no one pushed her when she insisted that’s where she received the three scratches. They certainly looked like an injury Catra might have caused. Adora wondered if that had been intentional.

“That’s a shame.” Shadow Weaver said sweetly. She hadn’t looked up from her casting bowl since Adora arrived. Adora felt unworthy of her attention and angry at herself for feeling that way. Shadow Weaver was a busy woman. She was probably doing something important.

“You summoned me for a mission?” Adora asked, steering the conversation. 

“Not exactly. I received word from officers protecting the Fright Zone’s borders that a skiff has entered our territory. It appears the Princesses have arrived to rescue our captive.”

“I’ll send the order to increase security around the jail wing.” Adora offered immediately.

“Already done.” She waved a hand dismissively, still glued to her bowl. “Tech Master Bow is increasing the cybersecurity of the cells, and my apprentice has cast several deterring spells around some of the main entrances. However, these measures are simply for show. The Princesses are going to breach the compound. That’s why I’ve summoned you.”

“What can I do?”

“Your enthusiasm is admirable, but I will urge you to let me finish while I brief you, Force Captain.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’m sorry.” Adora bowed low, even though Shadow Weaver wasn’t looking.

“It’s quite alright.” Shadow Weaver finally looked away from the bowl and turned to Adora, who stood straight again. “What I need from you is simple. Once the Princesses enter, I need you to keep them from leaving. Battalions will be all over the Fright Zone, but Princesses are slick. They’ll avoid large groups. You should be able to locate and stall them long enough to set off an alarm and summon a battalion to your location. Then we will have five captured Princesses instead of one.”

“How will I know where to find them?”

“These Princesses have a rudimentary understanding of the Fright Zone, but they are crafty. They’ll likely waltz right through the front door, where no one will stop them besides a few guards I added for appearances. I doubt they’ll even disable the hallway motion sensors. Once one goes off, head to that location immediately. They’ll likely try to exit through a lesser patrolled area, so keep an eye on locations like the skiff bays and delivery warehouses. You can cut them off easily once you find out where they are.”

“Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

“You’re dismissed, Adora. Good luck, and I hope that wound heals up quickly.” Shadow Weaver called as Adora left. She ignored the comment. She needed to thicken her skin if she was going to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, there you go. You've got some sad Adora, Glimmer being over Adora's angst factory, and Bow being best boy. (A YouTuber I like calls him Male Katara and I can't unsee it) Also Kyle exists. The next chapter will have more action but at this point, I don't think many of you are here for that.  
> Thanks to everyone who commented last chapter and preemptive thanks to everyone who comments on this one. You guys rule. Until next time!


	10. One Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The invasion of the Fright Zone quickly goes awry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, Happy Birthday Entrapta! It is fitting but unintentional that this episode comes out on her b-day, so that's fun. (I'm counting this as something I wrote for Entrapta's birthday because I can) Speaking of which, thanks so much to everyone who checked out Six Gifts and gave it some love. You guys rule!  
> Alright, here we go. This chapter sets up some important plot points going forward, including several things that are quite different from the canon timeline. Most of these are small, almost-missable details, so put your thinking caps on. Enjoy!  
> Also, writing group dialogue is terrible and I'm so sorry.

Scorpia was rightfully angry. Prom had been going great. Perfuma was charming and Scorpia was doing her best to flirt with little success, which Perfuma fortunately found cute. Everyone else was having a good time too. 

Entrapta collected valuable data. Frosta agreed to join the Alliance. Catra pseudo-stalked her ex-best friend, which was weird, but would have been weirder if said-ex-friend wasn’t stalking Catra first. Everything was going fantastic, so well that Scorpia was considering leaning in for a kiss when Perfuma glanced over Scorpia’s shoulder and screamed.

Things went very downhill from there, and between the ransom call and the murder, Scorpia knew storming the Fright Zone was the only thing she could. Her mother wanted to use diplomacy, but the Horde had come to neutral ground, attacked the Rebellion’s strongest fighter, and kidnapped one of its senior members. There was no way Scorpia and the Princess Alliance was letting that go without retaliation.

That’s how they ended up in the Fright Zone, standing at the front door with no way inside. They should have predicted that, to be honest. Scorpia may be a commander, but she was a terrible strategist, and Mermista’s vague plan of ‘let’s go save the geek’ had fallen apart the moment they faced the security system.

“Alright, who can hack it?” Mermista asked. Everyone looked to someone else.

“Would it be swayed by the allure of a shanty?” Sea Hawk asked optimistically.

“What do you think?”

“No one has a better idea.” 

“He has a point, Mermista,” Perfuma said.

“He really doesn’t.” Mermista crossed her arms.

“Ok, so no one can hack this, and we can’t get through without opening the door.” Scorpia interceded. “What can we do instead?”

“I could knock the door down.” Frosta formed an ice fist over her hand and grinned excitedly.

“We’re trying for stealth here, Frosta.” Mermista rebuked.

“It would be so much easier to just punch our way in.” Frosta argued back.

“Let’s call that plan B.” Scorpia tried again. 

“Mermista can infiltrate the building through the sewers and open the door from the other side.” Perfuma offered.

“Yes! I like it.” Scorpia agreed. “That’s brilliant.” Perfuma blushed.

“Yeah, hard no.” Mermista rolled her eyes. “The sewers? Really? That’s our best idea?”

“Given that we have no others, yes.” Scorpia reminded her.

“I don’t believe this.” Mermista growled. 

“My dear, nothing could lessen your loveliness. A trip through the sewer would lower you none in my eyes.” Sea Hawk tried again. 

“Sea Hawk, that is _not_ what I am worried about.”

“Just go through the sewers, Mermista. Don’t be chicken.” Frosta accused.

“You did _not_ just insult me, you toddler!”

“Toddler??”

Scorpia bit her lip as the argument escalated. The mission could be going a lot better. Still, it was only their first. Surely the Alliance would learn to cooperate with time. She could only hope, anyway.

“Frosta, punch the door.” Scorpia sighed as Mermista and Frosta continued to yell back and forth.

“Yes!” immediately abandoning her argument with Mermista, Frosta laughed wildly and swung her ice-fist into the door, knocking it off its hinges.

In seconds, the whole hallway was filled with the sounds of alarms.

“Great.” Mermista deadpanned. 

“Come on!” Perfuma wrapped a vine around Mermista’s waist and pulled her along as the group dashed inside. 

They dashed down the hall and were quickly spotted by several Horde members in casual clothing. Scorpia didn’t think she had ever seen the soldiers without their recognizable armor. It was oddly humanizing. 

The soldiers didn’t have the same thought.

“Princesses!” one yelled. Another pulled a switch on the wall and the lights started blinking red. The sound of banging boots came from behind the Alliance and steadily grew closer.

“Sorry!” Scorpia blasted the off-duty soldiers with her lightning, throwing them to the ground, and lead the group deeper into the Fright Zone, hopefully away from the incoming battalion. Eventually, they reached an area where the lights were no longer flashing, though the sirens still sounded, and they slowed.

“Ok, according to our spy reports, the prison wing should be ‘in the heart of the Fright Zone.’ Does anyone know where that is?” Scorpia asked.

“We have a spy?” Perfuma questioned.

“Officially, no.” Scorpia said simply.

“Oh.”

“I assume the heart would be the middle. So if we pick a direction and stick with it, we should reach it eventually.” Sea Hawk deducted. Everyone stared. “What? I am more than a pretty face.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Scorpia agreed. “We’ve been heading this way so far, so let’s just keep going. How far do we have to go?” she wondered as the Alliance rounded a corner.

“I’d say you’ve gone far enough.” The girl with the sadist smirk answered. Everyone stopped as the pink-haired girl drew a circle in the air, which materialized into a rune. Scorpia had visited Mystacor enough to know what magic looked like, and that particular spell hummed with malevolent energy. “Then again, I’m surprised you Rebels made it this far at all.”

“You’re the knee-girl!” Frosta shrieked, and sure enough, Scorpia recognized her as the girl with the short dress from the previous day’s dance.

“Come here to scold my decorum?” Knee-Girl chuckled.

“We’re here for Entrapta! Where is she?” Perfuma demanded. Scorpia winced. Well, there goes the element of surprise. 

“What, you mean the prisoner? She’s in a cell, of course. Right where you’re all heading.” Knee-Girl threw her spell and the Alliance scattered, trying to dodge. She quickly drew another one, but Mermista burst a pipe over her head and distracted her. Scorpia started to attack with her powers but stopped short after realizing that shocking the girl while she was covered in water was a terrible idea. Instead, Scorpia used her natural strength, slamming into Knee-Girl and knocking her to the ground.

Knee-Girl summoned a staff from thin air and swung, but Scorpia grabbed it in a pincer and tossed it across the hall. Knee-Girl looked utterly stunned and Scorpia wasted no time stinging her. With one more threat out of the way, the Alliance took only a moment to recover before continuing down the hall.

“Quick thinking with your stinger.” Perfuma complemented with a bright smile. It was Scorpia’s turn to blush.

“Thanks. I just didn’t want to hurt her. She’s on the wrong side but doesn’t know it.” she admitted.

“You have the biggest heart, Scorpia.”

“Hey, flirt when we’re not in deadly situations.” Mermista interjected, getting between the pair. 

“It works for us.” Sea Hawk offered.

“No it doesn’t.”

“We’re flirting right now. I’d say it works.”

“This is what you think flirting is?”

“Guys come on. Ew.” Frosta grumbled. 

“Can we refocus on the mission?” Perfuma intervened. “We need to find Entrapta.”

“Find me? I found you!” the entire Princess Alliance skidded to a stop as Entrapta dropped from a vent over their head and landed in front of them. “Hello friends! I’ve been trying to catch you for some time now. You’re very fast!” a bot dropped behind her, but she didn’t notice.

“Entrapta, look out!” Perfuma called, preparing an attack on the bot. “Bot!”

“Oh, this is Emily. She helped me escape.” Entrapta held up her arms, blocking any attacks. Scorpia lowered her arms from their defensive stance in confusion.

“This bot helped you escape?” Scorpia asked. She motioned for the rest of the Alliance to back down a little while Entrapta explained.

“I was in the little room they gave me-”

“A cell.” Mermista deadpanned. “Because you’ve been kidnapped.”

“-And I was doing a little tinkering with their waste disposal system since it’s so inefficient.” Entrapta continued.

“Yeah, the sewers run in overhead pipes all over the place; it’s weird.”

“Mermista.” Scorpia reprimanded gently.

“I was working on getting into the mainframe, but my trackerpad was confiscated, so I could only access tech within a ten-foot radius. I managed to get to the door controls and Emily, who was standing watch outside my room, and reprogram them.”

“So you escaped without us?” Frosta pouted. “I was so ready to smash the wall down to get to your cell.”

“You smashed down three doors on the way here, pipsqueak. I think you’ve successfully smashed enough of this place. It’s falling apart anyway, doesn’t really need our help.” Mermista shrugged.

“I’m glad you were able to find independence, Entrapta.” Perfuma offered positively. Scorpia smiled. Perfuma always looked on the bright side. “However, we can’t take a dangerous piece of Horde technology back to Animalia.”

“Why not?” Entrapta frowned. “I’ve taken tech from lots of dangerous places, and that has a fifty-fifty shot of turning out alright.”

“Flower Princess is right, I am _not_ riding home on a skiff with that thing.” Mermista asserted.

“If Catra were here, she’d agree with me that assets are assets, regardless of origin.” Entrapta argued. The mood of the Alliance suddenly plummeted. Entrapta didn’t notice. 

“You can take the bot home, Entrapta, but we have to move.” Scorpia said, trying to divert the conversation. 

"Okay! We need to head to the secondary skiff bay. It's an easy exit and is likely unguarded." Entrapta told them, setting off in a different direction with the bot on her heels. "Let's go! I have so many code modifiers I want to try out!" 

"Glad someone knows where we're going." Mermista sighed as everyone dashed after Entrapta.

After some time running, Entrapta seemed to remember that the Super Pal Trio lacked a member. “Where is Catra, anyway? I was excited to see if her Sword was capable of interfacing with Emily.” she returned to the original subject, much to Scorpia’s chagrin.

“She’s….. um….” Perfuma struggled to reframe the situation.

“She’s back at Animalia.” Scorpia offered, saving the other Princess. “At the Prom, after you were captured, there was an _incident_ , and now she can’t lead the attack.”

“What happened?” the Alliance suddenly skidded to a stop as Frosta, at the head of the group, slammed on breaks and threw out her arms.

“She did.” Mermista pointed ahead of them and sure enough, there was Adora, guarding their exit. Her attention was on the wall-pad next to her, luckily not noticing the band of Princesses. Perfuma pulled everyone into a small alcove to hide as the officer looked up, hearing them.

“What do we do? We’ve wandered so far from the plan. I’m not sure what to do anymore?” Scorpia whispered.

“Scorpia, you’re the leader.” Mermista snarked quietly.

“Who agreed to that? That’s a terrible idea.”

“You’re the commander of the Rebellion.”

“That position is honorary! This is my first assignment that’s not a diplomacy mission.”

“Will you two stop? You’re crimping my harmony.” Perfuma hissed, taking a deep breath.

“Who’s there?” Adora called. Scorpia quickly filed away that she had good hearing. Or maybe they were just very loud. “You are disobeying the direct orders of a Force Captain by not revealing yourselves!” she yelled again after a moment of silence.

“Well, we’re dead.”

“Mermista!”

Radio static crackled, and a muffled voice spoke up. “Force Captain Adora. Report.” 

“This is she. I’m hearing strange noises coming from the front door.” Adora spoke, likely into the radio. “I’m investigating now.” Footsteps headed towards the Alliance’s hiding spot.

“It’s probably just a mouse.” Someone new came over the intercom. “We need you in Sector Q right now. There’s been a breach in cybersecurity.” The footsteps stopped. 

“Bow, isn’t that your job?” Adora sighed.

“I need all hands on deck here, Adora! Fighter-Bot E-13-9 is offline and not responding to operator commands! The Princesses have hijacked a bot!” the person over the comms, Bow, screeched. 

“I’m at my post right now.”

“Leave it, I’m having a crisis and Glimmer isn’t responding!”

“Glimmer’s not responding?” Adora sounded confused.

“No, and I can’t leave this emergency to look for her, and I’m freaking out a little bit-”

“Ok, ok, calm down.” Adora interrupted Bow as his voice got higher and cracked more frequently. “I’ll go look for Glimmer. Just let me find someone to cover my post.”

“Adora….” Bow whined. “There’s no way the Princesses are going to sneak out in the five seconds the door is unattended.”

“Fine!” she ended the conversation with a growl. “This is Force Captain Adora. I require a battalion to converge on the secondary entryway and monitor potential threats leaving the Fright Zone.”

“On our way, Force Captain.” Someone answered. Footsteps moved away from the door and gradually faded into the steady hum of machinery. Scorpia let out a breath. The door was clear.

Entrapta leaped from the hiding spot, followed by the bot, and made a beeline for the exit. It became clear why when she immediately began to fumble with the keypad on the door. Once it opened, after only ten seconds of hacking, the group dashed through the door. Scorpia picked Entrapta up by the shoulders and carried her out of the Fright Zone. 

………….

_ It was dark but warm. She was naked, but not in a revealing way. It felt oddly natural, even though she had bent to the societal pressure of wearing clothes a long time ago. Here in this place, where she couldn’t even see her hands in front of her face, she knew she was safe. No one would berate her here. _

_ She was walking, the ground beneath her feet grassy and free from obstacles. Though she could not see and didn’t know where she was going, she stepped forward with confidence and didn’t fear falling. This wasn’t a place made to hold people back. _

_ Eventually, she saw a light in the distance. As she approached it, she saw a large digital clock with a large cat sitting atop it. The enormous animal roared, shaking the ground, and the clock changed from  _ 9 _to_ 8.

“ynam evah uoy tub, eno desu evah uoY” _The cat’s words were inscrutable but seemed important. She wished she could understand._ “erom on evah uoy nehw emoc lliw emit a rof, esiw eB”

_ The cat and the clock faded, but the bright white 8 remained for a moment, seared into her eyes. It meant something. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is, once again, a spy in Bright Moon. I'm sure that won't be important later on. Yes, that detail should be completely ignored. Also, no one gets left behind! Surprise! So why is this chapter called "One Lost" you ask? That's a secret for now, but it'll be clear soon if it isn't already. You're are a clever bunch, I have no doubt some of you have already figured it out.  
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter, if you have any theories, or if you just wanna leave some love down in the comments. Thanks so much for your continued support and I'll see y'all next week!


	11. The Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora discovers the impermanence of death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I cut this one down to the wire, but it's done! You guys guessed the big reveal already, but let's pretend you didn't. I wonder what's happening in this chapter, I have no idea!   
> Enjoy!

Lord Hordak blew a gasket, but luckily Shadow Weaver took all of the blame. Even when she tried to implicate Adora and Glimmer, Hordak blamed Shadow Weaver for not vetting her charges' plans. After berating her mentor in front of the Force Captains and then throwing them all out of his sanctum, Hordak called for Adora alone to stay. So, while Shadow Weaver trashed the Moonstone Chamber in anger, as she often did, Adora got her first meeting with the Horde's mighty leader.

She instantly noticed how different he was in person versus the rumors and stories she'd heard about him over the years. His armor was falling apart, he hardly stood for more than a moment before collapsing into his throne, and his hands were covered in signs of decay. It was no wonder he tended to stick to the shadows and be heard rather than seen. He was less impressive up close, not that Adora would ever dare utter that aloud.

"Now that you've completed your initiation, you are ready for more missions, correct?" Hordak asked, sitting on his throne while Adora kneeled on the bottom step. Her knees were really going to hurt if she had to kneel in front of everyone important.

"Yes, Shadow Weaver has been preparing an assignment portfolio for me." Adora nodded.

"I'm afraid that will not be the case." Hordak said simply. Adora looked up.

"Sir?"

"I've been looking over your record, Force Captain. Your scores are perfect, no infractions to be seen, and you appear to be in prime physical condition. Your team exercises are somewhat lacking, but I've been informed that is the fault of a single member of your Cadet squad. All of this, plus a successful assassination against one of the Horde's greatest threats. I am impressed." Hordak told her. 

"Thank you, Lord Hordak."

"In light of this, I have decided to assign you a special project." Hordak stood, wobbling slightly before gaining his footing, and walked over to his monitor. He pulled up a complicated screen with prototypes of strange technology. "A trackerpad was recovered from the captured Princess. It contains a wealth of knowledge that will aid me in unlocking the secrets of harnessing Etheria's ancient technology and combining it with our own. This will significantly boost the Horde's technical power, which is thus far lacking in the face of the Rebellion's." he scowled at the screen. "From now on, your mission will be to retrieve pieces of Tech from the ruins scattered across Etheria." 

"Yes, Lord Hordak." Adora felt a little disappointed. That was it? All her years of training and excellence put to work not conquering the planet, but fetching machinery. She buried the feelings as best she could. "When do I begin?"

"As soon as you break the news to Shadow Weaver." Hordak sneered. Adora felt the blood leave her face. "Notify me when the task is done, and be aware that I will know if you do not do as I ask." 

_ "You wouldn't want to look weak in front of your commander? _ " Shadow Weaver's voice came from directly behind her. She jumped and whirled around, only to see Imp giggle and dart away. That thing scared her, especially knowing that it had witnessed her punishment.

"Of course." Adora gathered herself.

"You are dismissed, Force Captain. I look forward to seeing your expertise at work in the field. Hopefully, not every mission will be like Thaymor."

* * *

Glimmer was waiting for her outside the sanctum. Adora internally sighed and prepared for another lecture, but she didn't get one.

"Have you seen Bow?"

"No, why?" Adora frowned. Last she'd seen him, Bow was still freaking out over the escaped bot. He was so concerned that Adora didn't even have the heart to berate him after the Rebels escaped because he pulled her away from his post. 

"He's supposed to be at the Horde-management meetings, but I didn't see him today." Glimmer explained, distress clear in her voice.

"He's probably still working on the bot that escaped."

"It's just one bot. What could possibly be the big deal?"

"Bow says one of the technicians reviewed the bot's makeup and that it has some sort of experimental software installed in it that made it valuable or something. What are the odds the Princesses stole the only important bot in the whole facility?" Adora shook her head.

"I know, right? We throw dozens of those things into battle as cannon fodder every day, but the one important one gets stolen." Glimmer chuckled. "Usually when the bots fail, Bow is just excited to build more."

"He didn't seem very excited last time I talked to him. He seemed kind of…. scared." 

"It's not like the Rebellion's key to destroying us all was in that piece of junk. Sure, it was a mistake to put a bot that important right where the Rebels were attacking, but still. What would he be scared of?" Glimmer knit her brow. 

Adora rubbed her chin with her left hand. "I don't-" It clicked inside Adora's head. "Uh oh."

"What?" Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

"There's only one person who takes mistakes seriously enough to scare someone like Bow." Adora prompted, already speed-walking down the hall. Even an emergency like this wasn't worth the citation if she was caught running. Glimmer ignored the threat and ran after her, walking backward to keep up the conversation once she caught up.

"What do you-" Glimmer's eyes strayed to the bandage on Adora's face. "Ah, crap."

"Come on." Adora walked faster while Glimmer burst into a full run and quickly left her fellow Force Captain behind. Adora noted how easily Glimmer abandoned a fellow soldier if they were ever in battle together.  _ Princesses _ .

By the time Adora reached the Moonstone Chamber, Glimmer was already there, pounding on the door.

"Use a spell." Adora pointed out the obvious. Glimmer visibly swallowed.

"She'll kill me if I knock down the door."

"Shadow Weaver isn't going to kill you. You're her apprentice."

"Al-Alright. You're right. She needs me." Glimmer took a shaky breath.

"Wait!" Adora interjected right as Glimmer started to draw a rune. "Do you even know Bow is in there? We're not busting the door over nothing."

"Where else would he be? You said yourself, this is the best bet." Glimmer snapped.

"You've been by the door longer. Is there any sign of him?"

"You know these are soundproof." Adora had figured that out over years of long hours sitting outside that very door waiting for Catra's 'disciplinary sessions' to finish. She'd been in her teens when she figured out that her not hearing anything didn't mean that there wasn't something to be heard. "The only thing I've seen is the occasional flash of light from under thatdoor."

"That could be anything." Adora folded her arms.

"Why are you doubting your own plan?"

"Because I have no demerits on my record, and I'm not getting one now! I just got promoted!"

"What?" Glimmer's spell dissipated.

"Lord Hordak kept me back to tell me that I'm being assigned a series of special missions. This is my fast track to becoming his right-hand someday." Adora explained.

"But…. what does that mean?"

The door slid open, startling both girls.

"It means," Shadow Weaver snapped her fingers, and the purple haze around Bow dispersed. He collapsed onto the ground and took a deep breath. "that I may have been too harsh with the Tech-Master."

"Bow reports directly to Hordak." Glimmer couldn't look away from her friend. "You have no authority over his actions." She didn't sound very confident. Adora figured Glimmer was just as cowed by their mentor as Adora was. But this was a step too far for them both.

"He interfered with my charges. I was merely warning him not to do it again." Shadow Weaver looked at Bow as he shakily got to his feet and ran behind Glimmer and Adora.

"I take responsibility for the Princess's escape. Bow was just doing his job." Adora folded her hands behind her back to keep them from shaking. Her facial wound started to itch.

"That is no excuse-"

"Lord Hordak wouldn't take kindly to the fact that his second is disciplining management members without his knowledge or orders." Adora interrupted boldly. Shadow Weaver stopped talking and the room darkened. Adora was happy she was still outside of it.

"Growing  _ insolent _ , are we? I expected this of Glimmer," the other girl looked down at the ground. "but I must say I am not pleased with this development."

"That doesn't matter. I don't answer to you anymore, Shadow Weaver."

"Well, well. A single promotion and you think you've outgrown me. Don't forget who got you where you are, Adora. You wouldn't want to become ungrateful."

"I don't plan to, but you should be more aware of the chain of command. You taught me that, after all." The air only grew tenser, but this was where Adora shone strongest. She was a protector. No one was getting punished for her mistakes if she could help it. There were too many times when she couldn't.

"I see." Shadow Weaver said after a tense moment. One of the Moonstone Chamber's lights cracked, but the shadows coating the walls began to retreat. "Go collect your new assignments, then. Your journey to the top is finally starting." The doors closed, and all three teens collectively relaxed.

"That was really tense." Bow squeaked. Glimmer enveloped him in a hug while Adora still tried to grasp what just happened.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Glimmer rushed out.

"Yeah. Like Shadow Weaver said, it was just a warning. I'm supposed to 'defer to Adora's best judgment instead of interjecting on my own from now on." Bow returned the hug gratefully. "I guess she's the boss."

"Adora's just a teammate, Bow, don't listen to Shadow Weaver." Glimmer said dismissively. Adora narrowed her eyes. She thought she was the boss too. Then again, after what just happened, this wasn't the time to pull rank.

"I'm glad you're alright." Adora said sincerely. Bow beamed.

"Aw, get in here!" he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the hug. He was surprisingly strong. "Bonding moment!"

"You know we just rescued you from Shadow Weaver, right? That isn't a good thing." Glimmer rolled her eyes.

"We're remaking a negative event into something positive. My dads taught me."

"I know, Bow. Your dads taught you everything."

"It's not their fault they had so much wisdom to share with their sons."

"Can we talk about this later?" Adora wasn't sure what a 'dad' was, but she would need to ask later. Right then, there was a chain of command to climb. "Let's go get our new missions."

" _ Our _ new missions?" Glimmer questioned.

"Yeah. I need a crew to back me up, and apparently, we've already bonded." Adora reasoned. The two seemed like capable soldiers and Adora needed to keep an eye on Glimmer. It worked too well to pass up.

"And Hordak will be okay with that?" Bow asked.

"I'm sure if I submit a formal request for two permanent mission companions, he'll accept it." she shrugged.

"That sounds fun." Glimmer deadpanned.

"We'll make it fun." Bow broke away from the hug and bounced on his heels gleefully. "I've got the perfect trick arrow for the job."

"An.... arrow." Adora repeated.

"It's a pen arrow!" Bow pulled it out of his quiver and showed it off with a flourish. "Now come on! Paperwork ahoy!" and just like that, Adora cemented her fate.

* * *

As Bow presented it to Hordak instead of going through the usual bureaucratic process, the request was approved quickly. Hordak, in the middle of a project, yelled at him to go away and gave her mission perimeters with clenched teeth. Adora, Glimmer, and Bow decided to take that as enough affirmation and immediately set off on their first mission.

It went okay, if a little boring. They stole tech from this small kingdom called Dryll that Adora had never heard of. Apparently, it was a massive center of technology advancement, so much so that the government was just AI. The Horde laid eyes on the kingdom since it has several mines dedicated solely to recovering First One's tech. All the three had to do was sneak into the mines after everyone went home and load up on the tech before it was delivered to labs.

Adora was glad it went so well, Bow was glad no one got hurt because the only person they engaged with was a single robotic guard, and Glimmer was just happy to steal stuff. Adora got the impression these were her kind of missions. All in all, they were already heading back to the Fright Zone by daybreak. That's when she put her master plan into action.

"Hey, Glimmer?" Adora yelled over the wind rushing past them. Glimmer turned to face her friend while Bow slowed the skiff down a little so they could hear each other.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you try out that new spell you've been working on?" 

"The disintegration one?"

"No." Adora corrected. "The teleportation one. The Fright Zone is just on the other side of the Whispering Woods, and this way, we wouldn't need to waste time driving around them."

"I don't know; the rune is pretty volatile and I haven't gotten the hang of it yet." Glimmer admitted.

"All the more need for practice."

"We have a skiff. Can't we just head home the normal way?"

"If you can perfect teleporting, that could make these missions way easier." Bow cut in. 

"Exactly." Adora followed her arms with a satisfied smile.

"But I'd have to move all three of us, plus the whole skiff-"

"I'll drive the skiff home. You can teleport just you and Bow." Adora reasoned.

"Doesn't that undercut the whole point of saving time?" Glimmer narrowed her eyes.

"Saving time is just a benefit. The point is the practice. Besides, if you miss, Bow can send me your coordinates with his pad and I'll swing by and pick you up."

"She makes a good point, Glimmer. Plus I'm still pretty sure she's technically our boss." Bow shrugged.

"She's not our boss, Bow. We're all equal ranks here. You might actually be higher than us." Glimmer rolled her eyes. "But, I guess she does have a point." Bow pulled the skiff to a stop and he and Glimmer hopped out. She started drawing in the air while Bow made small talk.

"You know how to drive one of these bad boys, right?" Bow patted the side of the machine.

"It was covered in basic training." Adora assured him. She left out all the terrible things that happened last time she drove one, but that wasn't his business.

"Great! But remember, don't drive it through the Woods. That place swallows up Horde tech like brown ration bars." He warned. She nodded. 

"I always preferred the gray ones."

"Eh, they're so grainy."

"Am I magic-ing or not, chop chop." Glimmer snapped her fingers, causing the rune to waver slightly.

"Okay, okay, let's magic. And ‘magic’ isn't a verb, by the way." Bow gave Adora an apologetic look and headed over to Glimmer, who quickly took his hand.

"Grammar Rebel." She sighed before clapping her hands and setting off the magic.

"Am not!" Bow's retort sounded even as he and Glimmer disappeared in a flash of pink light.

Adora relaxed a little as she got back on the skiff and turned it around. Her actual plan was to take the scenic route back to the Fright Zone, straight through Animalia. She would grab the Sword from whatever minimum security place the Rebels had stashed it and head back home victorious. This was her moment of redemption.

* * *

When she reached the edge of the palace, she stashed the skiff in a vast garden behind a large statue that was for some reason shaped like a thin woman with pincers. She then snuck through the various plants and made her way towards the windows on the castle's east side. That's where the residential areas were, according to her training. Since the moon was just rising, everyone would be at the mess hall eating their first-meal, allowing Adora to sneak into the palace through one of the quarters. Then, all she had to do was locate the weapon and she was home free.

Adora climbed gracefully through the window and was surprised to find carpet on the floor. Good. That would dampen her footsteps. She was even more shocked when she saw the size of the room. It was almost as big as her barracks, but there was only one bed with what looked like curtains drawn around it. Is that what passed as personal quarters in Animalia?

She set about searching the room for a door when she saw something sitting on the dresser. Her eyes widened.

"No way," Adora whispered thoughtlessly as she crept to the dresser. There, sitting abandoned in this random Animalian room, was the helmet she had given Catra when they were kids. Adora picked it up with shaking hands. She hadn't seen it since Catra left the Fright Zone. What was it doing here? Unless-

Adora took in the rest of the room. There was a small hole in the ground that had probably been a reflection pool but was now filled with blankets. The visible parts of the bedframe were covered in scratches. There was a big bookshelf covered in books about something called the "First Ones." A large piece of beeping equipment was set up near the bed. And most tellingly, a large golden sword with a red gem that sat propped against the wall near the door.

This was Catra's room.

For a moment, Adora was consumed with an overwhelming urge to flee. This was the room of the girl she killed. Trespassing in her space felt like an extra insult to a dead friend. Then she remembered what Catra had done, why she'd killed her, and the only remaining urge was to make a beeline for the Sword.

Unthinkingly pocketing the helmet, Adora stepped at full-volume towards the weapon. The room was empty and the carpet would protect her from being heard by people outside. 

"Yes." She reached out and grabbed the Sword by the hilt, only for it to start glowing. Her head filled with loud voices, all yelling at her to save them. Adora threw an arm over her eyes and fell backward into the carpet with a cry. 

With her hand off the hilt, everything went quiet and Adora took deep breaths to calm herself. What was that? She sat up and stared at the Sword, which was no longer glowing and was acting like nothing had happened. She didn't want to grab it again. Not if that's what would happen. But she needed to, especially now that someone probably heard her yelling and could be on their way.

Something shifted noisily in the bed. Alarmed, Adora looked behind her to see something move ever so slightly behind the curtains, casting a shadow from the morning's moonlight. She got to her feet and looked between the Sword and the bed, debating heavily before her curiosity won out and she crept over to the bunk. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, a plush monstrosity with a deep oak frame instead of metal and those strange curtains heading whatever was inside.

Had the Rebels given away Catra's room already? With all her stuff still here? It didn't seem likely. So then what-

"Adora," Adora froze. She knew that voice. She threw open the curtains over the bed, and there, laying peaceful on her back, was Catra. Sleeping. Alive.

She couldn't be alive. That would mean Adora had failed even more than she thought. She couldn't stomach her own guilt at the thought, and it would be even worse when everyone else eventually found out. Catra would fight the Horde again and everyone would know Adora failed. Unless she did something about it.

The knife in her belt grew heavier as Adora unhooked it. She needed to fix her mistake, move past her failure. That was why she was here in the first place. 

"Adora," she whispered again, still unconscious. Adora's throat closed and her hands shook even more.

"Yes?" she said quietly back. Did Catra really know she was there?

"Why?" the accusation in the muttered word was crippling. Adora dropped the knife back into its sheath. She couldn't do this. Stabbing Catra the first time nearly killed Adora too.

Suddenly, Catra's face screwed up and the device next to her bed started beeping louder, more urgently. Adora cursed under her breath as shouting came from the hallway. She needed to go! But the Sword was still by the door! She could run for it and face the possibility of that crazy light from before, or worse, getting caught. Or she could go back the way she came and save herself from any risk of being compromised. 

Booted steps came from right behind the door and Adora's feet made the decision for her, carrying her across the room and throwing her out the window before she could even register that she was running. She heard the door to Catra's room burst open, but by then, she was hidden among the hedges in the garden, well on her way back to the skiff.

She wasn't telling anyone about her little detour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been kind of a long week, guys. I'd really appreciate some love to help me feel more motivated. Thanks so much for reading.


	12. How the Mighty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra realizes an obvious truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that previous chapters have been lightly edited, but that doesn't change the story at all. You don't need to reread anything (unless you want to) to understand the story from here on in.  
> More role-swapped characters are revealed in this chapter! It may not be who you were expecting and I'm hoping to shock some of you guys. You're hard to surprise. We've known for a while that multiple people who were part of the Horde aren't in this AU, but the last of these reveals should be here.  
> Before we begin, a quick shoutout to Rymu who inadvertently predicted this entire chapter less than an hour after I finished it. They may be psychic.  
> Enjoy the chapter!

_ Adora stood over the cliff, looking down at Catra with contempt. _

_ “You broke our promise, Catra.” She tilted her head, taking in her friend’s predicament. _

_ “Adora! Help me up!” Catra yelled, her grip slowly slipping. Adora knelt by her hand, leaning on her staff. “ _

_ “Making demands, are we? Someone’s ego has taken a recent boast.” _

_ “Why? Why are you doing this?” _

_ “We said as long as we stayed together, they couldn’t do anything bad to us. And then you left me, and look what happened. Look where you ended up.” Adora studied Catra’s predicament with a distant fascination. _

_ “I never meant to leave you behind!” _

_ “Don’t lie to me!” Adora slammed her staff into Catra’s left hand, loosening the latter’s grip and leaving her dangling by a single hand. “You’ve always been jealous, just waiting to get out of my shadow! Admit it!” _

_ “I…. I….” _

_ “Didn’t even say goodbye. What a lousy friend.” Adora shook her head as Catra dug in her claws, the cliff coming loose under her grip. _

_ “This isn’t who you are! You help people! Help me, please!” Catra pleaded. _

_ “You still think you’re a person to me?” Adora chuckled, standing up. “You’re a Beast, just some animal I decided to let in from the cold because I was lonely. And then you had to go and bite the hand that feeds you? I’ll show you what happens when you undercut your betters.” She grabbed Catra by the wrist just as Catra lost her grip. The Magicat dangled over the abyss with nothing but her bitter ex-friend keeping her alive. _

_ “Adora…. I….” _

_ “What? Sorry now? It’s a little late for that.”  _

_ “Please-” _

_ “Shadow Weaver was right about you. The best thing you ever did was serve as a sheath for my knife!”  _

_ Adora let go, and Catra tumbled into the darkness screaming. _

“Catra!” Catra’s eyes flew open to see the concerned face of Arachnia standing over her. She yelped and tried to shift away but immediately felt the stabbing pain in her chest. “Stay still, now.” Arachnia persuaded, backing up slightly. Catra settled back into her bed and tried to follow the queen’s advice.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing here?” she croaked, her voice raspy.

“Your monitors went off. I was worried.” Arachnia said, glancing at a piece of tech by Catra’s bed. “Your heart rate is very high. Were you dreaming?”

“Yeah. A nightmare.” Catra admitted. 

“It’s alright now. I must admit, I’m thrilled to see you awake. The whole kingdom has been worried.”

“How long was I out?”

“Six days.”

“Six days?” Catra repeated, shocked. 

“Your body was recovering. Magicats have excellent healing abilities, but such a wound was a stretch for you to handle alone. Luckily, a few of our healers helped you along, and Entrapta set up a few monitoring devices for us when she returned.” Arachnia explained, relief clear on her face now that the shock of Catra’s sudden wake-up had worn off.

“Entrapta was gone?” Catra frowned. “Did she and Scorpia go on a mission without me?”

“Not exactly. You see, Catra-”

“My Liege!” the door was thrown open and Octavia burst in. Catra’s tail flicked in annoyance. This couldn’t be good.

“Yes, Captain?” Arachnia asked. 

“A beast has been spotted on the castle grounds, My Liege.” Octavia warned.

“Octavia, we do not use such derogatory language.” Arachnia chided firmly.

“No, I mean-”

“It’s coming!” Someone shouted from down the hall. 

“An animal has invaded, ma’am! An  _ unnatural _ one.” Octavia looked toward the voice and went wide-eyed, hefting her spear. “Begone, creature!” she yelled, thrusting her spear and disappearing from the doorway.

“What on Etheria…..” The queen left Catra’s bedside and readied herself for battle, eyes glowing with power.

“Get back here!” Octavia shouted from the hall before a giant cat burst into the room, covered in small scratches.

“By the Black Garnet, I strike!” Arachnia growled, leveling her pincer at the cat while it bounded toward the bed.

“Wait!” Catra shrieked, and the queen faltered long enough for the animal to knock her over. However, as it reached the bed, it skidded to a stop, towering over Catra’s bedridden form.

“Get away from her!” Arachnia prepared to strike again before Catra held up her hand. The cat nuzzled against the outstretched hand, and the queen dropped her defensive stance. 

“I know this cat.” Catra explained quickly as the enormous animal licked her hand, its tongue as big as her palm. “I kinda…. made it.”

“What?”

“I was really nervous on my first day here, and then this cat showed up, but I couldn’t use my powers, so I accidentally zapped it and made it big. And green, for some reason. But, like I said, it was an accident.” She elaborated.

“That was no accident! It was fate!” The cat spoke up. Both women’s jaws dropped.

“You can talk?” Catra demanded, recovering quicker than the queen.

“As of recently, yes.” It agreed.

“I didn’t think cats could talk.” Catra mused. 

“You can talk, can’t you?” The cat challenged.

“Eh, that’s fair.”

“This is extremely unprecedented.” Arachnia muttered, still slightly in shock. “There’s a talking cat in my castle. How odd.”

“I am Clawdeen.” the cat pulled away from Catra’s petting and introduced herself to the queen. “I have come to aid the Rebellion and serve as She-Ra’s mighty steed.”

“Took a vacation to annoy Mermista, though, right?” Catra chuckled, remembering how aggravated the sea Princess had been at the Ball.

“Yes, well, I was hungry and finally big enough to make it past the farmers.” The steed cleared her throat and looked down at the ground. If a cat could blush, Clawdeen would be bright red. “Once I realized you were in distress, I made my way here. I must admit, the security around this place isn’t great, but it worked to my advantage.”

“They weren’t expecting a talking cat. A talking  _ cat _ .” Arachnia scratched her chin. “What an oddity.”

“Is she okay?” Clawdeen asked.

“Probably. She’s seen weirder. She runs this place.” Catra shrugged.

“Oh! Your Majesty!” Clawdeen ducks her head and goes into a bow, folding her front two legs under herself.

“No need for that. A friend of Catra’s is a friend to the Rebellion.” Arachnia waved off the cat’s formalities. She seemed to have mostly recovered.

“Nobody’s been mauled to death in here?” Octavia reappeared in the doorway. Her helmet was hanging off her head and she had a growing bruise on one of her legs but otherwise seemed fine.

“You could have checked earlier. If we were in danger, we’d be dead now.” Catra rolled her eyes. Octavia growled. 

“I wasn’t talking to you,  _ kitty _ . I was talking to the queen, not some kid who got stabbed by her ex, the psychopath.”

Catra hissed and tried to push herself up but Clawdeen jumped onto her chest, carefully avoiding her wound. “She’s not my-”

“Octavia, those statements were completely unprofessional for someone of your station.” Arachnia reprimanded, cutting off Catra. “Apologize immediately.”

“Sorry you got stabbed, kid. Stay dead next time.” And then she disappeared from the doorway. 

“I am going to have such a  _ talk _ with her later.” Arachnia fumed. “I apologize for her behavior, Catra, that was uncalled for.”

“What did she mean when she said  _ stay dead _ ?” Catra ignored most of Octavia’s words. The Captain of the Guard had hated her with an irrational fury since she arrived.

“Oh, um….” The queen swallowed hard and rubbed her arm with her pincer. 

“You were dead, Catra. Your heart stopped. For a while, too.” Clawdeen said lowly, still laying on Catra’s chest.

“I was dead?! Next time, lead with that!” Catra exploded. “How did you even know if you were off tormenting the fish farmers.”

“Our sacred bond, of course.”

“Our  _ what _ ?”

“I’ll leave you two alone for a moment while I alert the Alliance you’ve awoken. I’m glad you’re doing well, Catra.” Arachnia excused herself and swept out of the room with the grace befitting a queen. Scorpia was definitely going to have to become more graceful before she took over.

“We have much to discuss.” Clawdeen got off Catra and sat down at the head of her bed, far enough to respect Catra’s space but close enough for easy conversation. 

“Why are you here now? Why not during any of my earlier missions?” Catra adjusted herself slightly, still laying down but with her head elevated so Clawdeen wasn’t looking down on her.

“Well, as I said, I’ve been exploring the limits of my powers and growing used to my new form. It’s not every day one wakes up and finds out they can talk.” Clawdeen shrugged. “But mostly, it was because I wasn’t sure you needed a steed at all. You made me on accident and seemed to be doing well on your own. I figured we might both be better off on our own.”

“And then you changed your mind, I assume?”

“One night a little under a week ago, I got this…. sense that I was needed somewhere. I just ran, following my instincts, when our bond broke. It was debilitating. I’d never even felt it before, but the loss was overpowering.” Clawdeen’s expression was pained. “I just laid down in the middle of the Woods and couldn’t get up again. Until a day later, when the bond reforged itself, just as strong as before. That’s when I knew I had to come find you. We’re not supposed to be apart.”

“You were right, though. No offense, but you were an accident, Clawdeen. I thought you’d go back to being a regular cat. I didn’t mean to cause this.” Catra felt bad having caused the innocent animal pain. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, after all.

“It’s alright. I want to accept this life instead of ignoring it. We are supposed to work together.” Clawdeen pressed.

“How would we even do that?”

“Wherever you need to go, I can take you. When you need help in battle, I can aid you. All I would need in return is food and the occasional head scratch.”

“That doesn’t seem like a fair deal to you.”

“Some friends in exchange for helping save the world? Isn’t this the same gig you’ve convinced yourself is going on here?” Clawdeen raised an eyebrow and Catra growled.

“My situation is a little different. Besides, I know that’s not how this is.”

“We’re connected, remember. I sense your doubts. Your fears.”

“Well keep my fears to yourself, please. I don’t need you gossiping about me.”

“Oh, I would never. I abide by hero-stead confidentiality.” Clawdeen swore. “But, if I could offer a bit of advice-”

“Must you?”

“You’re going to have to face her again.” Catra paled at the cat’s words.

“Don’t, Clawdeen.” She warned.

“But you are afraid-”

“Clawdeen…”

“Of how deep she’s gone. How far she’ll go-”

“Clawdeen!”

“You think she’ll-”

“Shut up!” Catra exploded. Clawdeen folded her ears back and hung her head.

“I’m sorry. I was trying to help.”

“You were doing a terrible job! When I tell you to stop, you have to stop.” Catra put her face in her hands. “But…. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“Thanks.” Clawdeen perked up slightly. “I’m new to this job and to complex thought processes in general. I’m hardly used to my own ideas and thoughts, let alone trying to help you with yours. I hope you’ll forgive my beginner’s blunders.”

“I don’t really need a therapist cat, but I’m glad you’re exploring your new abilities. We’ll need them to defeat the Horde.”

“Really?” Clawdeen asked excitedly. 

“You seem nice enough and the Rebellion always needs more members. Besides, having another cat around will be fun. We could steal fish from the kitchen together.” Catra grinned.

“Not to brag, but I’ve become a champ in the best few months.” Clawdeen challenged playfully.

“Oh, when I can stand up again, it’s on.”

Someone knocked on the door and didn’t bother waiting for a response before coming in.

“Catra!” Scorpia poked her head in.

“Scorpia, remember what we said about knocking?” Catra sighed.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. We’re all just super excited you’re awake!” she paused. “Wait, is that a giant cat?”

“What do you mean ‘we’?”

“She means the rest of us.” Entrapta’s voice came from behind the door.

“Yes, but- oh, never mind.” Catra cut herself off. Scorpia came into the room and the entire Alliance, plus Sea Hawk who was basically an honorary member, shuffled in. As soon as they saw her, everyone started talking at once.

“Great, She-Ra’s not dead.” Mermista deadpanned. “Wait, is that the cat that attacked my hatcheries?”

“Catra, I’m so glad you’re alright!” Perfuma beamed.

“You were right; this Alliance-stuff isn’t so bad. I got to punch so many people earlier!” Frosta yelled.

“The monitor seems to be functioning normally, though the heart rate seems to be slightly exaggerated. Maybe if I switched out the electrodes…” Entrapta mused.

“Catra, how was your adventure in unconsciousness?” Sea Hawk asked excitedly.

“Okay, one at a time, please!” Catra ordered, causing the noise to die down.

“How are you feeling?” Scorpia went first.

“Like I was stabbed.”

“Well, there’s good reason for that.” Sea Hawk nodded as though he had solved the problem.

“What do you remember?” Scorpia ignored him.

“I was dancing with Adora, and we were just talking. But, then she started acting really squirrely, and I felt this sharp pain in my stomach. Then I woke up.” Catra didn’t bother with her dreams.

“How are you processing that?” Perfuma asked, concerned.

“Getting killed by my old best friend? I should have known it would happen eventually. We made our decisions and went separate ways months ago.” Catra sighed. She knew Adora was there for nefarious reasons. She just never thought an assassination, let alone her own assassination, was the goal. 

A small part of Catra couldn’t believe Adora would ever raise a hand against her when there was actual danger, but a larger part of her knew that she would do anything the Horde told her to. She believed that Adora saw herself as the good guy and she would do whatever it takes to “save the planet,” even at Catra’s expense. 

Catra always knew that Adora would pick her duty over her. She never thought it would put them on opposite sides.

“You can talk to me if you need to.” Perfuma insisted. 

“I’m fine, but thank you.” Catra brushed the offer aside. “All of you.”

“You’re welcome!” Entrapta grinned. “When Scorpia told me that you were hurt, I was worried. I felt anxious the entire way back from the Fright Zone.”

“Wait, what?”

………..

The Alliance did their best to explain, but after a long period of everyone talking over each other with varying versions of the story, Scorpia politely kicked everybody out. With just her, Clawdeen, and Entrapta left, the mission recounting was a lot smoother. Perfuma hung around too and refused to leave because she insisted Catra needed a comforting presence to deal with her trauma. Catra didn’t bother arguing with her.

“I’m sorry you guys had to go to the Fright Zone without me. That place can be a pain to navigate if you didn’t grow up there.” Catra said.

“We did alright. Not too bad for our first Alliance mission.” Scorpia beamed.

“It got a little chaotic, but with proper team building, we’ll be able to harmonize much easier.” Perfuma agreed. 

“Good, I was worried our auras wouldn’t blend well.” Catra smirked.

“You joke, but it is a real concern.” Perfuma said evenly, clasping her hands together.

“Right.”

“Anyway, to summarize, the Fright Zone mission was a rough but successful one.” Scorpia mediated, wrapping an arm around Perfuma’s waist unconsciously. Perfuma relaxed into the grip, and Catra smiled slightly. At least one good thing came from that terrible night, aside from Frosta’s change of heart.

“I’m just glad I met Emily.” Entrapta says fondly.

“I can’t believe Scorpia let you steal a Horde bot.” Catra deadpanned.

“I didn’t let her do anything. She’s a grown woman. She can do whatever she wants if it’s not a crime.” Scorpia defended.

“Stealing is a crime, you know.”

“Not from the Horde. We’re at war, Catra, I can steal things if it’s from the enemy.” Entrapta said perkily. 

“That’s terrible logic. I love it.”

“We  _ liberated _ Emily.” Perfuma reframed.

“Actually, I think we were supposed to.” Entrapta added, fishing for her trackerpad. When she pulled it out, Catra frowned. 

“What happened to your usual pad?”

“It’s somewhere in the Fright Zone. Some tall guy with no midriff protection confiscated it.” she explained dismissively. “This is my backup.”

“Oh.”

“I looked through Emily’s program and she had a huge cache of sensitive data in her files. I think we were supposed to take her with us.”

“You think someone in the Horde wanted us to steal their secrets.” Catra frowned.

“We have a spy.”

“We do?” Catra looked to Scorpia.

“Off the records, yes.” She admitted. “But we don’t talk about it. They’re an official Horde member instead of someone we planted as a spy, so not technically a part of the Rebellion, so all we have to go on is the codename they’ve provided.”

“How can you trust them, then?” Catra questioned. 

“We didn’t at first. A few decades ago, information started showing up on Horde servers we had hacked. No one knew what to think. After a while, General Grizzlor started sending small battalions to check the validity of the intel, and it was always good.” Scorpia shrugged, moving her arm away from Perfuma. “All they ask is that we never look into their identity so they don’t risk exposure.”

“This seems very fishy.” Catra folded her arms. “In a bad way.”

“I trust Grizzlor, and he trusts this spy.” Scorpia said definitively. “He and his boyfriend basically raised me when I was little. Cobalt taught me to fight when he wasn’t training the cadets, Grizzlor told me war stories, even Octavia pitched in sometimes.”

“This is Octavia we’re talking about.”

“She’s not that bad. She just doesn’t like  _ you _ .”

“She seemed mean to me.” Clawdeen piped up from where she was lying next to the bed. Catra got startled a little. She’d almost forgotten the cat was there.

“She doesn’t like cats.” Scorpia reasoned. “She lost her eye to a Magicat kitten when she was stationed in their village.”

“What’d she do? Steal its candy?” Catra chuckled.

“Who knows. But she’s still bitter about and maybe a little scared of you.”

“I doubt she’s scared of me right now. I’m bedridden.”

“Just try to be nice to her, please? For me?” Scorpia’s eyes sparkled, and she made the face that Catra didn’t have the willpower to resist. Catra sighed.

“Fine. But Octavia is losing the other eye if she calls Adora ‘my ex’ ever again.”

“Wait, weren’t you two dating?” Perfuma wondered.

“She stabbed me; what do you think?”

“I’ve considered stabbing an ex.” Perfuma said flippantly. “Breakups can be difficult.”

“It wasn’t a breakup because we weren’t dating!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! We were just friends. We hung out together all the time, told each other secrets, hugged a lot…. slept together….. wait, we were dating!” Catra yelled, trying to sit up again. Scorpia pushed her back down. “I don’t believe this!”

“Did you really not know?” Entrapta asked. “It seemed like the obvious conclusion based on what you told us about this girl.”

“Oh,” Catra covered her face with her hands. “This is so embarrassing.”

“It’s fine, Catra. She’s very attractive.” Perfuma assured her.

“Please be quiet.”

“Do you still like her?” Scorpia worried.

“No, I don’t-” Catra cut herself off. “I’m not-” another deep breath. “We were close, but Adora tried to kill me. Clearly, our relationship didn’t mean as much to her as it did to me.”

“It’s hard when a relationship falls apart, especially so integral to your life growing up.” Perfuma offered. 

“It’s fine, Perfuma. Don’t therapize me.” Catra held back a growl. This was about the last thing she wanted to talk about after coming out of a coma an hour ago.

“Wildcat, it isn’t healthy to repress dealing with complicated emotions.” Scorpia said.

“If you’re going to press this, I’d like you to leave.” Catra did growl that time.

“But-”

“I don’t want to talk about this. Please leave.”

“Okay.” Perfuma stood up first and pulled Scorpia to her feet. “We’ll go. You need your space.”

“Perfuma….”

“Out.” Perfuma lightly shuffled Scorpia out the door with Entrapta close behind before she turned back to Catra.

“If you won’t deal with your emotional pain, at least deal with the physical pain.” She pulled a small bag out of her dress and tossed it onto Catra’s bed. When the Magicat picked it and sniffed it, she felt her eyes dilate. 

“Whoa….”

“Be responsible. That’s catnip.” She winked and disappeared before closing the door behind her.

“That stuff smells amazing.” Clawdeen sat up and stuck her nose in the bag.

“Hey! This is for stab-victims only.” Catra held it away at arm’s length and Clawdeen sighed.

“Alright, alright.”

“Are you going to go too? Surely there’s a better place for you to stay than in my room.”

“What, like the stables?” Clawdeen raised an eyebrow.

“Fair.”

“Besides, we do have one last matter to discuss.”

“If one more person brings up my repressed trauma, I will throw a fit.” Catra threatened.

“That’s not where I was going, but noted.”

“Good.”

“Catra, there was a reason I took so long, aside from hunger.” Clawdeen offered. “I was checking up on Razz.” Oh. Not what Catra was expecting.

“How is she?”

“She’s anxious. Kept going on about how ‘this wasn’t supposed to happen’ and things like that. It was pretty incomprehensible, but she said that once I found you, I had to tell you to meet her in the forest. She can help you heal and get back into the fray.”

“Really?” Catra wanted nothing more than to be well again. She feared what the Rebellion would think of their She-Ra being out of action for a long time.

“Razz said to take the Sword and head into the Woods as soon as you can. There, you will find what you’re looking for.”

“Those were her words?”

“She called you ‘Adora’ the entire time. I don’t think we should be looking too deeply into the way she words things.” Clawdeen shrugged. 

“You’re right, you’re right.” Catra nodded. With difficulty, she sat up. It would be some time before she could stand, let alone walk. Hopefully, Razz’s miracle cure could wait that long. “So when do you think we should go?”

“There’s unfortunately no ‘we’ on this mission. Razz was quite clear that you have to go alone.” Clawdeen said sadly.

“I see. Thank you, still.”

“You’re welcome. Happy to be on the team, even though I guess I won’t be doing much for a while.” Clawdeen grinned.

“You can help the Alliance out on missions.” Catra offered. “Since it seems I’ll be out of commission for some time, they’ll need to get their cat power from somewhere else.”

“Oh, I can bring the power. I bet the Horde doesn’t have any defenses designed for tigers!” Clawdeen paced around the room excitedly.

“Why don’t you go tell Scorpia that you can go with her on the next mission?”

“Can do! And on my way back, I can grab you a fish kebab.”

“Wow, you really can read my mind.” Catra grinned back.

“I’ll be back!” Clawdeen scampered out the door and shut it with her hind leg. 

Catra let her smile melt as she settled back to laying down. She sighed, looking down at the thick bandages under the layers of blankets covering her. What could she do? She couldn’t just wait around for somewhere to replace her. There was nowhere else to go.

She needed to do something, and soon.

“Can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Octavia, Grizzlor, and Cobalt are officially Rebellion members! Special thanks to "bishonerockmysocks" on Tumblr for their excellent headcanons on these three that inspired the reveal. I'm on Tumblr, as I've mentioned a few times, so check me out at "chippedcat" if you get a chance to see headcanons, fanart by awesome artists, and previews of upcoming chapters and projects.  
> Hope you like this story and please leave me some love if you can. See everybody next week! That chapter is going to take a brief break from the plot and explore some Scorfuma, because Valentine's Day! I've been waiting forever to focus on them so I'm treating myself.


	13. Have

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia gathers her courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna write about genocide this week..... I wrote a coffee-date instead. I did say this chapter would be about "Promise," but it turns out I'm a dirty liar and a sucker for some fluff. So you get some Valentine's Day content instead.  
> This chapter is a nice little break from all the plot, murder, and angst. Scorfuma date! That's it, but there is a fun reveal towards the end for you lore-lovers. Enjoy!

Scorpia took a deep breath. Today was the day. She and Perfuma would finally have an official first date. 

Catra wasn’t going to set it up. There wouldn’t be a murder. It would be just them. It would be perfect.

All she had to do was ask a simple question. Yet, her nervousness was making things hard.

“Entrapta, why are people so difficult?” Scorpia sighed. Entrapta looked up from Emily’s hardware and raised her mask.

“I’ve been studying that for years. No conclusive data.” She shrugged. “People just don’t function predictably. I bet it’s that pesky free will.”

“I like free will.”

“Not if you are trying to measure the statistics of people and their actions versus reactions you don’t.”

“Right. Unpredictable.” Scorpia shook her head. “Deep down, I’m afraid of what Perfuma will say when I ask her out, even though the possibility of her shooting me down is so slim! I feel like I should be able to logic myself out of this.”

“Well, let’s do some math.” Entrapta said excitedly. She pressed a few buttons on her screen, and a small graph with pixelated faces of all her friends appeared.

“Aw, we’re all adorable.” Scorpia put her pincers on her cheeks.

“You and Perfuma are in limbo. You have spent romantic time together but have not made any solid declarations on your status. Therefore, your relationship is marked by this dotted line here.” Entrapta pointed at the screen. “You are no longer a friendship, like we are, as indicated here.” Entrapta gestured to a solid red line between her and Scorpia’s image.

“What’s Catra’s line to me?” Scorpia frowned at the screen.

“That shows unrequited attraction that will never be acted upon.” 

“What?” Scorpia blushed. “I don’t feel that way about Catra.”

“That’s not what she told me.”

“She told you I liked her? When?”

“I went in to check her monitors and she was inhaling a strange smelling herbal stick that I noticed Perfuma sneaking in last week. When I asked where she got it, she said Perfuma gave it to her. She then unpromptedly said she was happy you two were getting along, especially since, quote, ‘Scorpia’s having a hard time getting over this sweet ass.’ I extrapolated what she meant by that.” Entrapta explained.

“Oh, gods.” Scorpia groaned, covering her face with her hands. 

“Is it  _ not _ true that you feel unreturned romantic feelings?”

“It’s just a little crush.” Scorpia waved off the assumption.

“Define crush versus attraction.”

“I don’t know, Entrapta. A crush is just….” Scorpia struggled for words. “It’s kind of temporary, I guess. It’s an infatuation, usually with someone you know won’t like you back. Crushes just happen and then go away. They don’t usually evolve into something more.”

“So you don’t have a ‘crush’ on Perfuma?” Entrapta pulled out her pad and started taking notes.

“No, I don’t. And I don’t have one on Catra anymore, either. It was just a little short-lived fascination with her.”

“I see.” Entrapta nodded to herself. She pressed a few buttons and the faint gray line between Catra and Scorpia turned solid red. 

Huh.

“Now that we’ve settled that, I believe we were calculating your chances of securing an outing with Perfuma.” Entrapta changed her screen so that Scorpia and Perfuma were highlighted. “Let’s use some simple math.”

What Entrapta said next, Scorpia didn’t understand most of. But by the end, they determined that given Perfuma’s assumed feelings for Scorpia and Scorpia’s natural charisma, even when she lacked confidence, that Perfuma was likely to accept the invitation.

Scorpia left Entrapta’s office, not assured, but definitely feeling better. She loved her friends.

……

She found Perfuma in the garden, tending to the memorial bush. Scorpia paused, as she always did to look up at the hulking figure of her mom. The parent she didn’t know and never would. No matter how many times she came to the garden, she never could resist the call to stop and stare up at the war hero who she should feel some connection to, but never could.

“Did you remember her at all?” Perfuma asked, noticing the stares. Scorpia shook herself out of her stupor.

“No, I don’t. I was so young when she died.” Scorpia said simply. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to start. “Mother won’t even say her name most days.”

“Losing people affects everyone differently. In another life, losing her wife might have scared her away from fighting instead of propelling her efforts. We’re all fortunate she’s so strong.” Perfuma took Scorpia’s arm and looked up at the topiary. 

“This war has taken so much. Losing a mom I didn’t even know can’t compare to some of the stories I’ve heard.” 

“Don’t devalue your own sadness because it pales to others. Your feelings still matter.” Perfuma smiled softly. “It’s okay to be upset over things.”

“I know.” Scorpia agreed. But it still nagged at her. Her mother lost a wife, and Scorpia couldn’t even remember her mom. She didn’t feel like she had the right to be in pain when her mother’s was so much worse.

“You have her eyes, you know.” Perfuma laughed lightly.

“It’s a bush; I’m sure she didn’t look like that.”

“I don’t know. The likeness is stunning.”

“I feel like I should be insulted.”

“Don’t be. You know I love plants. It’s a compliment.”

“I see.”  _ Here you go, Scorpia. Date time. She complimented you. You can do it. _ “Since you love plants so much, maybe I could take you to this little place I like. It’s no garden like this, but it’s a nice little cozy café with vines all up the walls and cats everywhere. They make a great latte, and you could help the plants, and I could pet the cats and-”

“I’d love that, Scorpia.” Perfuma stopped her gently by putting her hands in Scorpia’s pincers. Thank goodness, she was starting to ramble. “I’ve been meaning to see more of Animalia since I’m spending so much time here. Exploring it with you seems like the perfect outing.”

“Really? Because we can go anywhere you want, you name it-”

“A café would be lovely.” Perfuma cut in again. Scorpia held back a sigh of relief. “When were you thinking of going on this little adventure?”

“Is tonight alright?”

“Tonight is perfect. I’ll meet you at the front of the palace at moondown.” Perfuma leaned up and kissed Scorpia’s cheek lightly before breezing back into the garden. Scorpia pushed her jaw back up and dashed into the palace. Moondown wasn’t that far away!

“Mother!” She shouted, running through the halls. Her mother’s head popped out of a meeting room.

“Scorpia, what are you doing? You haven’t made this much noise since you were a baby.” Arachnia raised an amused eyebrow.

“I have a date and I don’t know what to wear! Help!” Scorpia begged, out of breath. 

“A date, huh?”

“Don’t act so surprised.”

“I’m not surprised, dear.” Her mother came out of the room and closed the door behind her. “When is this date?”

“Moondown.”

“You kids today are fast.”

“Mother….”

“There’s no time for a shopping trip, but I’m sure we can whip something together in the next few hours.” Arachnia promised, leading her daughter down the hall.

“Was that meeting important? I didn’t even consider that you’d be busy.” Scorpia admitted. Rarely was she excited enough to forget her anxiety about disrupting her mother.

“Yes, because as Queen, I do so little important work.” Arachnia chuckled.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know, dear. But no, that wasn’t overly important. Cobalt was just telling me that Clawdeen wants combat lessons and he’s never trained a lion before.”

“I’m sure Cobalt can do it.” the drill-instructor was the closest thing Scorpia had to a father. He practically raised her when her mother was dealing with the fallout of her wife’s death. He, Octavia, and Grizzlor were her family for those few, hard years. 

Her mother had gotten better at spending time with her and would often do so at the drop of a hat. Usually, Scorpia felt bad for distracting a queen from her duties, but she was also trying to get better at asking for things. Her mother wanted to help and was happy to walk away from her work when necessary. Scorpia shouldn’t feel bad about having an interaction that everyone gains something from.

“He’s a smart man. Even if he has to bring in an animal trainer, he’ll be able to handle the challenge. He sounded more excited than upset, honestly. The man loves a challenge.” Arachnia chuckled as they walked down the halls. 

“He trains teens for a living. I hope he does.” Scorpia smiled.

“Speaking of a challenge, I think we can scrape together an excellent outfit for you in no time if we put our minds to it.” Arachnia redirected the conversation. “How do you feel about backless dresses?”

“I really appreciate your help, but we should keep it toned down. This is a coffee date.”

“You’re right, you’re right. Something with a back for sure. But still elegant.”

“Mother….”

“Kidding.”

“No you’re not.”

“Well, I was kidding a little.”

They went back to the Queen’s Quarters and eventually, Scorpia was able to convince her mother to not go completely overboard. The duo settled on a nice shirt with a jacket and skirt. It was far from elegant, but she wouldn’t stand out in a coffee shop and wouldn’t make her look like she was trying too hard.

“Oh, you’re so beautiful.” Arachnia sighed as Scorpia finished up her hair. One day it would grow back out. Then again, with her luck, Entrapta would set off a bomb or something and sear it all off again. Maybe she should keep it at its current length.

“Thanks. They’re your clothes.” Scorpia finished her hair and put on her headband. 

“You look so much like your mom sometimes.” Arachnia adjusted the headband slightly and smiled sadly. “She would be so proud of you. Going on your first date with a pretty girl.”

“We’re going to win this war, Mother. With Catra’s help, we’re going to defeat the Horde and avenge Mom.” Scorpia promised.

“Let’s not pressure the girl, now. She’s healing and in pain.”

“Doesn’t healing mean the opposite of pain?”

“Different kind of pain, Scorpia.” Arachnia chuckled at the misunderstanding. “Besides, you shouldn’t worry about all that right now, baby. Go have fun with your girl. The war will still be here when you get back.” Her mother encouraged. It was less encouraging than she seemed to think it was, but Scorpia let it go and pushed the thoughts of war from her mind.

“I will. I just hope I don’t screw it up somehow.”

“Don’t think like that. It’s going to be great. You are a brilliant and kind young woman. Perfuma is going to see that if you let it shine through.”

“Thanks, I-” she stopped. “Wait, I never said I was going with Perfuma.”

“Oh please, dear, you two went to the Prom together and haven’t stopped holding hands since. You’re a very genuine person, which means I can read you like a book.” Arachnia grinned.

“You’re scary when you’re like this.”

“I’m a Queen. I notice things. Now go knock the hemp socks off your girl.”

………

Perfuma was waiting for her in a casual but low-cut yellow sundress and holding a pink flower. There was a brief moment of Scorpia trying to think of something to say before Perfuma good-naturedly handing her the flower as a little present and they set off through the kingdom towards the café.

_ Clovers and Cat Tails _ was a neat little establishment owned and run by Plumerians who came to Animalia during a Horde invasion scare a decade or so ago. It was famous for being a place that Sapiens could visit frequently and not look out of place in the hybrid-dominated kingdom. The clientele was divided pretty equally between hybrids, Sapien immigrants, and tourists. That meant that Perfuma and Scorpia could sit down at a table and enjoy tea together without the flower Princess looking too out of place.

There was also the added bonuses of plants for Perfuma and cats for Scorpia. They drank tea, played with cats, helped the plants, and genuinely had a lovely time. Of course, one final challenge remained as night approached.

“This tea blend is delicious!” Perfuma said excitedly for the fifth time. “I wonder why they decided to mix the two flavors.”

“Maybe they, you know, accidentally knocked the two into a cup together and discovered it was scrumptious.” Scorpia joked, running her pincer over the cat in her lap. She really loved cats. Scorpia had been working up the nerve for weeks to ask Catra if she could pet her, but she was pretty sure that’s offensive somehow.

Perfuma laughed at the joke, even though it wasn’t all that funny, and Scorpia’s chest filled with warmth.

“I wouldn’t be all that surprised. Accidents are a gift from the universe.” Perfuma agreed.

“You know my parents met on accident.” Scorpia offered. “Well, you probably  _ didn’t  _ know that, but now you do.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of funny. Cute funny.”

“I’d love to hear about it if you’re up for it.”

“Oh, sure.” Scorpia dug through her brain for the details. “My mother was friends with Mermista’s dad, and one time he was throwing this big ball and sending out invites. Instead of mailing them, for some reason, he gave an invite to his servant and said to bring it to Mother. I think it is some sort of Salineas custom, or maybe just him being very careful with his mail-”

“So he sent the invite….” Perfuma redirected.

“Right, yes! The Prince told the servant that he would know my mother because she’s Scorpioni and we sort of stick out. There ain’t a whole lot of us, but somehow that servant got lost in Animalia and asked someone where he could find a Scorpioni since he’d forgotten Mother’s name. I bet Mermista’s dad never used him as a mailman again.” Scorpia shrugged. “Anyway, he was directed to my mom’s house, so she got invited to a ball on accident! It’s not every day you get an invite to a royal shindig, so she decided to go even though the invitation probably wasn’t hers.”

“That’s quite bold of her.” Perfuma chuckled.

“Mother says Mom was always very confident and take-charge-y. I wonder where those genes went.” Scorpia sighed a little. “Of course, naturally, Mother found out about the party, assumed her invite simply got lost and went, and that’s where she met my mom.”

“That’s an adorable story.” Perfuma said.

“Mother tells it better, but it’s a good one. That’s the stuff good romance novels are made of.”

“Oh, I read the best novel the other day-” suddenly, the lights all went off and a lamp illuminated a small, elevated platform on the far side of the café. 

“Patrons, if I may have your attention,” A muscular pink-colored Reptileon walked onto the stage holding a mic. “It is time for our nightly entertainment! Every day when the moon sets, we open our ears and hearts to the stylings of ordinary patrons like yourselves. Poetry, music, singing, dancing, all are welcome upon our stage if you have the bravery.”

“I had no idea this place had an open mic night.” Perfuma whispered excitedly. A terrible idea popped into Scorpia’s head.

“Do we have any takers?”

“Yes.” Scorpia stood up without thinking and immediately felt regret when the light next to her turned on and illuminated her.

“Princess?” the Reptileon’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s Scorpia.” Scorpia corrected good-naturedly. She was never a fan of people doting on her because of her status. “I’d, um, like to sing…. Please.”

“Why, of course!” he recovered quickly. “Any song in particular?” Scorpia headed up to the stage, grateful she was a little blinded by the lights and couldn’t see the little audience she had.

“Yes, I have one.” She whispered it to the Reptileon, who nodded and handed her the microphone.

“Up first we have Scorpia with, ‘Do You Believe in Magic.’ Take it away.” The man motioned to the small band Scorpia didn’t notice before and the music began to play.

“This song goes out to Perfuma, my wonderful date for the night. It’s for her that I have the, uh, courage to publicly embarrass myself in song.” Scorpia said good-naturedly. The audience laughed; so that was a good sign.

“Okay, here I go.” Scorpia took a deep breath and sang when the beat came.

_ “Do you believe in magic? _

_ Come along with me _

_ We’ll dance until morning, just you and me _

_ And maybe, if the music the right _

_ I’ll meet ya tomorrow _

_ So late at night” _

As she sang, a hush washed over the coffeehouse, and Scorpia felt the fears of people watching her fade away. Once she started singing, everything else faded except for the music.

Eventually, the song came to an end and the audience clapped. Scorpia’s world narrowed down to a single flower that came from the audience and landed in her pincer. When she looked up from the plant, Perfuma had stood up and was applauding madly. That really made it all worth it.

“Give it up for Princess Scorpia and her fantastic ballad!” the Reptileon climbed back on stage. “You’re a natural, kid. Give me a call if you ever want a permanent spot in the band.” He tucked a card into the breast pocket of Scorpia’s shirt and winked.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Please, call me Tung Lashor.” He patted her back, leading her offstage as the next performer walked on.

“I’d rather not.”

“Ha! Don’t change, kid.” He chuckled, guiding her back to her table and vanishing into the dim light of the café.

“So, what did you think?” Scorpia sat back down as the older Sapien onstage started reading a poem.

“That was wonderful, Scorpia. You’re amazing.” Perfuma assured her, taking her pincer in her hand.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was worried it might be a little flashy.” Scorpia admitted.

“I loved it. But I could tell you did it because you wanted to impress me.” Scorpia turned as red as her exoskeleton. “I just want you to know you don’t have to show off or anything for me.” Perfuma promised.

“Really?”

“Of course. I like you for you.”

“That means a lot, thank you.” Scorpia felt a slight weight come from off her shoulders. She hadn’t thought Perfuma wanted any posturing, but it was a relief to know that she wasn’t expecting grand acts done in her name at every step of the way. If there’s one thing Scorpia could be, it was herself.

“Thank  _ you _ . This has been such a great night. I’m so happy to share it with you.” Perfuma blushed a little and leaned across the table toward where Scorpia was.

The poem concluded, and as people clapped, Perfuma quickly closed the distance between them and locked lips with Scorpia. The poor girl’s brain momentarily malfunctioned, but when it rebooted, she kissed Perfuma back as best she could. As the clapping ended, Perfuma pulled away with a shy smile, and Scorpia’s first kiss was over. It was a good one. She hoped there would be more.

“Wow.” She muttered softly. Perfuma giggled and squeezed her pincer.

“Wow indeed.” A love song started up from the stage and this time, Scorpia leaned across the table and kissed Perfuma. She tasted like the rosewater tea she’d been drinking and made the cutest little sigh when their lips touched.

As the beautiful song played in the background and a beautiful woman kissed her, Scorpia knew that this was a moment that she would always remember.

It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love them. This holiday is a little weird for me this year since it's my first out as aromantic, but I enjoyed writing this chapter and letting some of my characters be happy for a few minutes. Plus it gave me a chance to touch on some of my less explored relationships, like Entrapta and Scorpia and Arachnia and Scorpia. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.  
> Hope you liked the chapter! Leave me some love in the comments (it's Valentine's Day, after all) and I'll see you all next week.


	14. Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra finds hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here we go. Promise chapter! Now, before we begin, I'm going to preface this and tell you all now that Adora is not in this chap at all. This a different version of Promise than what happened in the canon timeline.  
> This has been one of my favorite chapters so far (tho my other favorite is Princess Prom so that goes to tell you what you guys are in for) so I hope you enjoy!  
> See you at the bottom.

Time passed, and Catra didn’t feel much better, but it was clear that she was needed. The Horde was gaining ground left and right. They improved their technology, pulled troops out of the field to replace them with bots, took control of several vital villages, and were slowly tearing through the Whispering Woods.

Things were getting bad. The Princess Alliance gradually disbanded as the Princesses returned to their Kingdoms out of fear they would be invaded. The Rebellion needed She-Ra, but Catra knew she couldn’t fight in her condition. She had just gotten back on her feet, and even that required her to carry a cane, which she was indignant about.

She had to do something. Even if that something was wandering through the Whispering Woods trying to find a crazy old lady.

But Catra couldn’t find Madame Razz. She figured there was a reason for that. If Razz wanted to be found, she would have been. No, there was some cryptic explanation Catra would never know for why Razz wasn’t waiting in the Woods for Catra. There was some reason why she ended up in the Temple instead.

“Well, this is fancy.” Catra whistled, staring up at the massive building. “Whoever lived here thought highly of themselves.”

The Sword in her hand, which she was using as a walking stick, hummed as she got closer to the crystalline monument.

“What, you like it here?” Catra asked it.

_ Place….. good….. has…. Hope…. _

“Great, thanks.” Just like a magical sword to never give a straight answer. “Though, I could use some hope right now.” She looked down at the ramp entrance under her feet, crouching with difficulty to run a hand over the strange markings. They, too, hummed under her touch.

“We should go inside.” She decided. The Sword started to vibrate faster. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Instinctually, she tapped the blade against the markings and the ramp lowered, letting her in. A strange smell and cold draft greeted Catra and made her question her decision, but it was a little late for turning back. Bad smells didn’t always mean bad things. Her recent adventures with catnip had made that lesson clear.

“Just let this go better than Prom.” Catra muttered as she walked inside, the door panel closing behind her.

The place was dark and abandoned, just like any other First One’s ruin, but the lines on the walls lit up as she passed them. The building was clearly responding to her, but Catra wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

“Turn back.” Catra yelped as the words came from directly to her left, but when she swung the Sword, nothing was there. She took a second to catch her breath. Somehow, that voice sounded like Entrapta.

“I hate this place already.” Catra groaned as she continued on.

“You don’t belong here.” That was definitely Scorpia’s voice, but again, no one was there. Catra gulped. She dreaded hearing those very words from Scorpia one day. Still, this wasn’t the situation she was worried about.

“The creepy whispering is a nice touch, I have to admit.” Catra yelled, her own words echoing through the chamber. “Why don’t you show yourself?” nothing responded. “That’s what I thought.”

_ Keep….. going. _

“Yeah, yeah.” Catra smacked the Sword on the ground, hurting herself with a jolt but shutting the blade up. “Normal magical swords aren’t usually this talkative.”

_ You require….. guidance. Steering. _

“Do I look like a boat to you?” Catra growled and trudged forward with the Sword as her cane. This stupid hallway was starting to feel endless.

The Sword didn’t reply.

“Look, I know we’re stuck together, but you could be a little nicer to me. I am sort of your boss, so I think I’m owed some respect. As much as I can get from a sword, anyway.” She continued.

Again, the Sword said nothing. “What, no witty comeback for me?” she finally exited the tunnel and found herself in a dim, circular room. Entrapta would probably call it a rotunda, given her love of word specificity. Circle room was just fine with Catra.

“Unknown presence in the Crystal Castle.” Catra froze. This wasn’t anyone she knew. A strangely robotic voice was coming from in front of her. After a moment, a glitching hologram appeared. “State yourself.”

“Uh, I’m Catra. The new She-Ra.” Catra explained choppily. She hadn’t been expecting to deal with a machine.

The hologram glitched and turned from purple to red. “Invasive species detected. Preparing countermeasures.”

“Invasive species? That’s a little rude.” Catra frowned. The entire room lit up red, and screeching sounds came from the room’s various doors. That couldn’t be good.

“Measures deployed.” The hologram disappeared and massive spiders surrounded her. Catra yelped and lifted the Sword.

“For the Honor of Grayskull!” she yelled, glowing with light. The spiders stopped and watched her transform, staring with the same instinctual reverence she got from the forest creatures. They didn’t charge when she was done like she thought they would.

“Administrator detected. Hello, She-Ra.” The hologram reappeared, but the spiders didn’t go away.

“You only answer to the tiara, huh?” Catra sighed. At least her pain went away when she transformed. If only she had the strength to stay in this form for more than a few minutes.

“State your query.” The hologram continued.

“How do I heal myself?” Catra asked.

“The Sword of Protection is not designed to heal its bearer. One of its many functions is to heal the sick and injured.”

“I don’t care what it was designed to do. It wasn’t made to have me as its user, either. This thing constantly complains about me; I know I wasn’t it’s first pick.” Catra griped.

“Query not recognized.”

“Oh, it’s gonna be like that, huh?”

“Query not recognized.”

“Perfect. Is there someone else I can talk to with some personality?”

“Unfamiliar tone detected.”

“Wow, you just learned sarcasm. How does it feel?”

“Query not recognized.”

“Yeah, this is going great.” Catra looked around the room, pointedly ignoring the spiders, and wondered where all those doors led. Behind one of them could be someone with more emotional bandwidth than a toaster oven. “Who can I talk to about controlling the Sword?” Catra tried again.

“The Sword of Protection is wielded by Eternia’s chosen hero.” the hologram said. Eternia? “Only she can speak to Light Hope.”

“Who is Light Hope?”

“She-Ra’s loyal advisor.” Yes!

“I want to speak to Light Hope.”

“Only She-Ra may convene with Light Hope.”

“I am She-Ra.” However, even as she said it, her form started to fade as she ran out of strength. Soon she would have to turn back or risk hurting herself even more.

“You-” the hologram sputtered out of existence and then reappeared. “Yes, you are She-Ra. You may speak to Light Hope.”

“Great! Where is she?”

“She is here, waiting for you.”

“Where exactly?”

“She is waiting for you,” the hologram repeated. “Adora.”

Catra collapsed back into her natural form with a start. She leaned heavily on the Sword’s handle, panting.

“Invasive species detected. Countermeasure deployed.” The room once again turned red, and the hologram faded.

“Wait, no!” Catra stumbled away from the spiders as they surged forward. “Stop!” they didn’t stop, and Catra was forced to pick a door and stagger towards it at top speed. She needed rest but couldn’t stop until she was away from danger.

The door started to close and she threw herself to the ground, sliding under it just as it slammed shut. The spiders screamed on the other side but couldn’t follow her. She was safe.

Catra’s vision darkened, even in the already pitch-black room, and her head felt like it was spinning. She needed to get up. She needed to find a way out. She needed…..

* * *

“They’re coming!” Catra woke with a start. This wasn’t her bedroom, and it definitely wasn’t the dark room she’d passed out in.

She was in a large clearing surrounded by on all sides cottages and massive trees. There were houses in the trees, making this town instantly distinct from the cookie-cutter villages like Allwyn and Thaymor. This was somewhere she had never been but felt connected to. She knew this place.

“Run!” someone darted past her, and Catra yelped in surprise. The figure ran on all fours through the clearing and into the trees. She thought she saw a tail waving frantically as they darted away.

“They’re here!” Catra whirled around and saw another person, this one frantically ringing a bell. This person clearly had a tail, as well as animalistic ears on the top of their head. This village was home to hybrids, like most of the towns the Horde sacked.

Suddenly, the clearing was filled with people as they ran from their homes, running through the clearing and into the surrounding forest. Many of them, particularly those wearing armor or robes, stayed in the clearing, forming battle ranks. The trees started to shake, and Horde forces burst from the woods, attacking from all sides.

People running from the clearing into the woods were quickly cut down. The weapons the forces carried were red on the tips even before they started fighting. It seemed like no one who had reached the forest had escaped at all.

The hybrids charged the overwhelming Horde troops, and before the two sides met, the scene blacked out. Just as well. Catra didn’t want to see what happened next.

When the world rematerialized, Catra found herself inside a house, high up in the trees. She knew this home. Where was she?

Soft whimpering came from behind her. Catra didn’t want to turn around this time. She didn’t want to see whatever was making such pained sounds.

“Hush, little one. It’s alright.” A woman’s voice whispered. The whimpering grew softer, and Catra’s knuckles turned white from her grip on the Sword. “You must be quiet. We moved away from the window, but we are not safe. They will hear if we are not quiet.”

Slowly, she turned and saw a woman hugging a small child close to her, speaking quietly into the child’s ear. Up close, the two people were clearly Magicats, covered in fur with tails and cat ears. She was in Halfmoon the day her people were slaughtered.

The kitten meowed and the woman nodded, meowing back. They were talking, but Catra didn’t know what they were saying. Her ancestral language was one she had never spoken.

“Be still. It will be alright.” The woman whispered, reverting back to Etherian. “It will be okay.”

Something crashed outside, and a sickening thunk shook the tree. The invaders were climbing it.

“It’s okay, lady, I’ll protect you.” Catra promised, leaning the Sword against the wall and readying her claws. She felt terrible for randomly appearing in this woman’s home, but she was ready for a fight if necessary. Sure, she wasn’t at her best, but she could take a couple Horde soldiers.

The woman didn’t react to her words and continued whispering to the kitten.

“Is someone there?” someone, a soldier probably, called from below. When Catra risked a glance out the window, she saw that he was almost up the tree, climbing with hooks.

“It’ll be alright, little one.” The woman curled herself tighter around the kitten as the soldier finally reached the house and kicked the door open, more forces scaling the tree behind him.

“Back off, Horde scum!” Catra slashed, but her hand went right through the soldier’s helmet and he continued into the house unstopped. “Hey!” she stepped in front of him, and he walked right through her. Catra shivered.

“This land is Horde property! You’re trespassing.” The soldier hefted his staff and pointed it at the woman.

“Stay back!” the woman growled. Her own claws came out, but the soldier seemed undeterred. He continued to approach.

“By the authority of Lord Hordak, under the Removal of Extraneous Species Act, all Magicats must be removed from this premise. Exit the house with your hands up and prepare for expedient extermination.” The soldier continued. Other soldiers swarmed into the house. “Get up and face your fate, vermin.”

“I said stay back!” the woman launched herself at the soldier, her kitten still tucked into the crook of one arm, and raked her claws against his chest. He fell backward, wound oozing, but more troops took his place.

“We’ve got a fighter!” one of them yelled. He bashed his staff into the Magicat’s stomach while another soldier grabbed the kitten.

“NO!” The woman surged towards her child but the soldier threw her to the ground. “C’yra!” he raised his blaster, and the scene cut out. 

Catra was alone in the darkness.

“What….. what just happened?” she took a step backward, trying to understand where she just went. And why she couldn’t interact at all. Was that even real?

“Scenario complete. Scanning….”

A dark red light appeared from the darkness and roved over Catra.

Another scene appeared.

She was in the Fright Zone, in front of the door to Hordak’s sanctum. A guard stood in front of the door, but Catra walked up to them and they didn’t react.

“Huh.” She picked up the Sword from where it was leaned against the wall and tested a theory. She walked forward, right through the guard and the door, and ended up in the sanctum. This was getting even weirder.

In the sanctum, everything was strange. The door behind her glitched in and out of existence. Hordak sat utterly still on his throne while his figure wavered like a bad trackerpad connection. The entire room kept changing shades of green.

“Holograms.” Catra murmured to herself, tapping Hordak and watching him flicker. “But why?”

“My lord,” the door reappeared, and Shadow Weaver came through it, anger evident in her voice. She was holding a cardboard box under one arm and gesturing wildly with the other. “I implore you to reconsider.” Hordak unfroze and rose from his throne, walking through Catra as he descended the stairs. She eyed his throne.

“Shadow Weaver, your personal preferences in this matter are irrelevant. You agreed to be a mentor when you took in Adora, and it would be a waste of resources if you only trained a single cadet.” Hordak stood halfway down his stairs, staying taller than Shadow Weaver and able to glare down at her.

Catra sat on the throne and cursed when she fazed right through it. Though, she probably should have expected that. So much for taking a little rest.

“Adora is special. She needs a mentor who is not distracted by other cadets. You must reconsider.” Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes.

“It is not your place to tell me what I must do. I gave you your powers, I gave you your status, and I can take that all away.” Hordak growled. “You are going to train the cadet. That is a direct order.”

“My lord, you cannot expect anything to come of this…. mongrel. This Beast!” she glared down at the box in her hands. “It will only distract Adora from her greatness.”

“That is your business now. I will be bothered with this no longer.” Hordak turned and started back to his chair.

“You owe me for your success.” Shadow Weaver switched to threats on a dime. “Where would you be without me?”

“That debt was settled when I allowed your attack on Halfmoon to move forward. I allowed countless troops to be squandered on your little power trip!” Hordak growled. “There was no tech, no resources, and nothing gained! The mission was a complete failure and I expect you to deal with the consequences. Raise the child you orphaned, Shadow Weaver! Live with your actions.”

“The attack was far from a failure. Halfmoon has been destroyed, and a plague on Etheria has been cured. Besides, I thought you would want your second to become stronger.”

“You must set aside your contempt for Magicats if you are to raise one.” Hordak sat back on his chair. “Now begone. I expect to hear no more on this matter.”

“My Lord-”

“Get. Out!” he snarled, banging a fist on his chair. Shadow Weaver’s hand curled into fists, glared down at the box again, and glided out the door without another word.

“Parasite.” He muttered distastefully once the door closed behind her. The room went dark again.

Catra leaned on the Sword and rubbed her forehead. She could hardly begin to process what she was seeing. What were those… visions? Scenes? Or….

“Memory scan reinitiating.” The red light appeared again. Catra stumbled towards it.

“Oh no you don’t! I’m not doing that again!” she yelled. “Come here!”

“Scan interrupted.” The light disappeared.

“Get back here!”

“Query not recognized.”

“AH!” Catra cried. The world around her started going haywire. She was back in the Fright Zone, and then in an instant, she was in Halfmoon. “Stop hiding behind these illusions!”

She went through several scenes in seconds and held her head as the flashing lights cultivated a headache. She broke into a run, trying to chase where the red dot had vanished from.

Catra dashed as fast she could through the door of the Fright Zone, but the scene changed in an instant to the house on the treetop. This time, she was outside, right beside the soldier holding the kitten. Before she could stop running, she had fallen off the tree’s edge.

Everything went dark again, and she fell screaming through the void, losing her grip on the Sword. 

“Distraction.”

“Pet.”

“Vermin.”

“Traitor.”

Every word felt like another knife, and when she eventually hit the ground, thankfully with a painless impact, she just curled into a ball, panting.

“Light Hope?! If you’re even there! Stop this!” Catra yelled between breaths. “I came here for help! And all I’ve gotten from you is these horrible things you keep showing me! Why are you doing this?”

“Because you don’t seem to understand who you are.” The room lit up, and Catra was blinded. “You do not know your place.”

When Catra could see again, she realized she was in a strange crystalline cavern covered in those weird markings from the ruin. Standing right in front of her was another hologram, this one more expressive than the first. She was glaring at Catra.

“Who are you?” Catra demanded, still blinking spots out of her eyes.

“I am Light Hope. And you are not supposed to be here.” The hologram said haughtily.

“Oh really?” Catra got to her feet with some difficulty.

“Yes, really. Only She-Ra is supposed to have access to the Crystal Castle.”

“I have the Sword, I can grow 8-feet, and I made it all the way here.” Speaking of which, Catra looked around to see where the Sword ended up. She really needed to stop dropping it so much. “Seems like all things She-Ra would be able to do.”

“You are not She-Ra. You were not selected.” The hologram insisted. Catra located the Sword near the far wall and went to retrieve it.

“Etheria chose me. It led me to the Sword.” Catra waved the Sword in the air.

“Impossible. Only First Ones can wield the Sword of Protection.”

“I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but there aren’t any First Ones on Etheria anymore. You live in a ruin now.”

“I have been waiting for the true She-Ra. You must leave.” Light Hope told her.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me how to heal myself.” Catra insisted, trying to look as threatening as possible while bearing most of her weight on the Sword.

“You cannot. You are not She-Ra. I will continue to wait.”

“You’re waiting for Adora, aren’t you?” Catra sighed. Light Hope frowned in confusion. “Well she’s not coming. I am She-Ra’s bearer!”

“This is not your path. You were destined to die.”

“Excuse you?” Catra pinned her ears back.

The scenery around her glitched and she was back in the treehouse, once again outside. She stood a reasonable distance from the edge, watching the soldier struggle with the flailing kitten.

“Magicats were supposed to be eradicated.” Light Hope appeared next to Catra. “But the kindness of one spared you.” she pointed, and Catra saw the soldier stun the kitten with their baton and tuck her into her armor.

"If that's me, then the woman inside must be my mom." Catra's eyes widened. "What happened to her?"

"You were not there. I cannot access memories you don't have."

"What happened to my mother?" Catra demanded.

"That woman is not your mother." Light Hope said simply.

"She has to be."

"Your denial of facts does not make them untrue."

"But-" Catra thought for a second and then realized what Hope was saying. She was right. Catra never had a mother. She just had a commander. "Oh. I think I get it."

“That is the purpose of this simulation. I took you through your memories to remind you of who you are.” Light Hope nodded.

“So, who do you think I am?”

“You are a Magicat. An introduced species on Etheria that grew to become pests. Magicats are technically classified as an ‘invasive species,’ along with Scorpioni and Canidae.”

“You’re not a nice person.”

“I am not a person.”

“I’m not responding to that.” Catra turned away from the hologram and back to the scene before her. The soldier had rejoined her squad and was hiding Catra from them. They talked, but this time, the holographic images had no sound.

“The Horde wished to remove Magicats from Etheria, but it is rare that a species is ever truly destroyed. Even when it would be for the better.” Light Hope continued.

“You really don’t like me, do you?” Catra sighed.

“I am a hologram. I do not have an emotional range so specific.”

“Then why do you keep saying I should have died?”

“You were destined to be destroyed with the rest of your kind.”

“Just because I almost died doesn’t mean I was ‘fated to’ or whatever.” Catra defended as the Horde troops started to move out. They combed through the remaining houses without kicked-in doors but came up empty.

“Destined.”

“Yeah, fine, destined. The point is life doesn’t work like that. I’m not supposed to do anything. And neither are you.”

“I am destined to train She-Ra. It is my purpose.” Light Hope explained.

“If you believe in that so much, then train me.” Catra growled as the scene faded, and they reappeared in the cavern.

“You are not She-Ra.” Light Hope insisted.

“I’m the best you’ve got. I have the Sword and no one else can wield it now. So either train me or get ready for another long bout of loneliness.” Catra bluffed. Without guidance, she didn’t know what she would do. Right then, she needed Light Hope just as much as the hologram needed her.

“I-” Light Hope frowned and flickered. “Yes. I think I can train you.” oh, thank the gods.

“Change of heart, eh?”

“I am, as you say, ‘stuck with’ you. I cannot change that you escaped your fate. All I can do is help you come into your new one.” Light Hope agreed.

“Great. First lesson, self-healing.” Catra rubbed her hands together. “I need to get better so I can transform for longer!”

“You have come for selfish reasons.” Light Hope said. Catra flushed. “Good.”

“What?”

“You lack attachments. These would only distract you.”

“I have attachments.” Catra defended. “I have friends, a kingdom to defend, this Sword that sometimes talks to me. I’m not alone.”

“She-Ra is not meant to be alone, but she cannot be tethered. She must be focused on restoring balance for all of Etheria. You have achieved this.”

“Thanks, I guess?” Catra couldn’t tell if Light Hope implied she was selfish and friendless or just trying to be nice in a misplaced way. “So…. Self-healing?”

“The Sword of Protection was not designed for that.” Light Hope replied.

“It wasn’t meant to be wielded by a Magicat either. The rules get bent sometimes.”

“Hmm. I suppose that is true.” Light Hope scratched her chin. “Have you tried initiating healing while still in your lesser form?”

“Could you stop calling me lesser? It’s not very nice.” Catra cut in.

“I see. I will add this info to my databanks.”

“You do that. Now, healing?”

“Try healing while still in your…. smaller form.”

“That’s not nice either.”

“But it is true.”

Catra didn’t respond to that. Because it was true.

“Try it now.” Light Hope prompted.

“Okay, but how do I ‘initiate healing’ at all?” Catra asked.

“I see we have much to do.” Catra didn’t think holograms could sigh, but Light Hope gave it her best shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray, lore! The Crystal Castle seemed like the perfect place to explore some of the past, so I just went for it. Have fun picking it all apart and if you have any great theories for me, or just wanna leave some love, let me know in the comments!  
> Have a great week everyone!


	15. Regret and Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora confront the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back with another chap! This one is kinda short (my week was filled with an insane abundance of work) but I think it's a good one.   
> Special thanks to my Beta Olive this week for reminding me that 'wield' and 'weld' have very different connotations. My Beta keeps this story from being a ridiculous pile of misplaced commas and incorrect-but-similar words. They're great.  
> Enjoy the chapter!

"Are you making strides in your work, my lord?" Adora asked, arms folded behind her back respectfully.

"Yep!" Bow chimed in helpfully, covered in machine oil. Hordak looked much less happy. That was his usual demeanor. "The anti-atmospheric generator is coming along smoothly."

"Not that this is any of your concern, Force Captain." He snarled.

"I was just wondering if you needed any specific parts from my next scavenging run." Adora explained.

"Yes, I require parts for a power source. Procure those immediately." Hordak turned away from her and went back to his welding. Adora looked entreatingly at Bow.

"What parts exactly, Lord Hordak?" Bow clarified.

"We're creating cables now, so we'll need things we can strip down to use as insulation. Anything that can be crushed." Hordak clenched his fist dramatically, still looking down at his work.

"The trackerpad taken from the captured Princess has helped the Horde learn how to interconnect magic and science. We think we've figured out a way to hook the Moonstone up to our device to power it." Bow told Adora.

"The Moonstone? Shadow Weaver's pride and joy?" Adora raised an eyebrow. Yeah, that will end well.

"The Moonstone belongs to me, so I may do whatever I please with it. It was a gift from former-queen Angella when she offered her land to the Horde." Hordak scoffed.

"Glimmer's mom, right?" Adora rubbed her chin.

"Ah yes, the Princess." Hordak hummed to himself and finished his wielding. "Normally, I would never allow Princesses into our ranks, but General Angella insisted that her daughter be given a place within the Horde."

"Glimmer is a great officer. We're lucky to have her." Bow put in. "Her magic gets stronger every day."

"That's what I'm worried about," Adora muttered.

"What?"

"How can you trust a magician, let alone a Princess?" maybe in front of their Supreme Leader wasn't the best place for this conversation, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention. Hordak walked to the other side of the room to fiddle with one of those strange pods.

"Glimmer's my best friend. We grew up together in the Family Unit since we both had parents. There weren't many people in the Unit, so we bonded fast." Bow shrugged. It seemed so natural to him. It was as if he didn't understand how dangerous Princesses could be. With luck, he'd learn when their trio eventually encountered the Alliance.

"I guess I can understand that." Adora admitted.

"You grew up with, uh, She-Ra, right?" Bow pivoted at the last second. Adora hardened. "You must know all about childhood friends."

"Friends are a waste of time. One of you has to stab the other in the back eventually." Adora said. Bow looked wounded.

"How can you think that?"

"I've never had a friendship that ended any other way." Catra betrayed her, and then Adora betrayed Catra right back. Even her old squad-mates betrayed her when they couldn't find the Sword and made Adora take the fall for it. She had a broken heart and a ruined face to remind her of how well friendships go.

There was no point in making them when the end result would hurt so much.

"You should make some new ones, so those friends can prove you wrong." Bow advised. "I could be your friend. Glimmer could be your friend."

"Friends with a Princess? Unlikely." Adora wrinkled her nose. Bow took a deep breath.

"No one kind of person is all bad."

"All Rebels are bad."

"Are they? You used to be friends with one, and even though it ended-"

"Catra's dead. There are no good Rebels now." Adora cut him off, narrowing her eyes. Time to act for Hordak. Bow's eyes widened.

"You…."

"I what?"

"You said her name." Bow said quietly. Adora's face softened in surprise. She did. And didn't even think about it. "That's good. This is the beginning of closure."

"I don't know what that means."

"That's fine. What matters is that you’re doing better. Feeling better!" Bow grinned. Adora really felt worse, which luckily meant her acting was working!

"Yes, I feel great and not sad. No debilitating fatigue either." Nailed it.

"See? The dark days are on their way out." Bow promised.

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

"The troops stationed at Elberon need reinforcements." Juliet said. Adora sighed.

"Again?"

"The citizens are revolting in the name of the Rebellion." Juliet looked down at her report. "This is Force Captain Sprag's third call for help in the past week. We need to take action."

"We've already sent an entire battalion to his aid. These people are civilians, not prisoners. If we send more troops, how is that going to look?" Adora reasoned.

"Juliet is right. We need to send another battalion and show these Rebels who's boss." Glimmer piped up.

"Glimmer, this is an official meeting between Juliet and myself." Adora reminded her. "You're just here for soundproofing."

"I'm not sure we need that, Adora. This isn't a sensitive issue." Juliet offered.

"All meetings with Hordak's Second need to be held in a secure office. Shadow Weaver had the Moonstone Chamber, and until I can get somewhere similar, we'll have to make do with soundproofing the secondary conference room." Adora said decisively. "But that doesn't mean Glimmer is a part of this meeting."

"I'm just saying that villagers won't fall in line without a little show of force." Glimmer shrugged.

"She has a point." Juliet raised an eyebrow. "Horde protocol states-"

"I know what the protocol says. I read all the regulatory handbooks back-to-back five times before I was ten." Adora cut her off.

"That's depressing." Glimmer muttered under her breath.

"Then you know that the best way to deal with insurrection is additional troops and increased restrictions." Juliet ignored her.

"Yes, I know, but I'm just saying that these people aren't Rebels. They're villagers who have been enslaved by the Princesses. We liberated them and now we're going to make them feel like prisoners again?" Adora folded her arms. "That's not how the Horde does things. These people are free now. They should feel like it."

"Adora, I must insist you reconsider. If we show leniency, there will be an uprising." Juliet warned.

"If we treat them with respect, they'll understand we're here to help. We aren't conquerors and we shouldn't act like we are."

"Oh, grow up." Glimmer mumbled again, louder this time.

"Glimmer!"

"I understand your decision is final on this matter." Juliet managed to keep her tone even. Adora admired her level-headedness. "Now, to the next order of business."

"Proceed."

"Fright Zone watchdogs have reported Tech Master Bow has been spending an inordinate amount of time within Hordak's sanctum. Hordak has not filed any complaints on the matter, but Shadow Weaver has put in a request for an official reprimand." Juliet flipped the page of her report and read.

"Has she cited any broken bylaws?"

"Adora, come on. Just tell her we aren't 'reprimanding' Bow." Glimmer grumbled.

"We can't show favoritism. If we dismiss the report without any reason, it won't look good."

"With all due respect, Force Captain, I can assure no one cares except me, and I don't care all that much." Juliet put in.

"Oh please, you used to get on me and Catra's case all the time."

"Consider yourselves lucky. Without all those slaps on the wrist, Shadow Weaver would have been fully in the right to discipline you herself, and then you would wish for a write-up."

"Likely excuse."

"Take it or leave it, but that's the reason. You really think anyone cares about 'unregulated roughhousing' or 'claw marks outside of training areas'?"

"I care." Adora sat up straighter.

"You have to loosen up a little, and that's coming from me." Juliet shrugged. "The Fright Zone is rampant with little violations, and if you enforce them all, this place will fall apart very quickly."

"She's right, Adora. You have to lose the stick."

"Glimmer, if you don't but out, I will-"

"What, write me up?" Glimmer chuckled. Adora narrowed her eyes and pulled a citation pad out of her pocket. "Holy Hordak, you carry one of those around with you?"

"You're getting a demerit for insubordination." Adora threatened, scribbling furiously.

"Oh, the horror."

"Now you're getting two."

"Could we refocus on the original matter of business, please? I do have other duties." Juliet sighed.

"She's right. Let's just make sure we don't get a repeat of last month's disciplinary incident and adjourn." Glimmer agreed.

"Alright, then. Did Shadow Weaver claim Bow is breaking any bylaws?" Adora asked, still writing.

"She labeled his behavior as 'unlawful entry.'" Juliet glanced back at her report.

"But Hordak hasn't issued a complaint himself, so it's technically invited entry." Adora finished her citation and handed it to Glimmer, who tore it up without breaking eye contact. Juliet sighed again.

"Fright Zone Ordinances Volume 7 does say that no one may enter Hordak's sanctum without being summoned. As much I hate the idea, Shadow Weaver may be in the right." She admitted.

"Next time we see Bow, we'll ask him if he's being summoned. Easy." Glimmer clapped her hands. "We're meeting up for Best Friend Squad dinner in an hour anyway."

"I thought we decided that 'Best Friend Squad' is a terrible name." Adora frowned.

"We did, but I can't say no to Bow when he pouts, so I changed my mind and you got outvoted." Glimmer said.

"I can't get outvoted. I'm technically your boss."

"Adora, we're friends. Friends don't pull rank on friends."

"We are not friends."

"Oh sure, you'll be friends with a Beast, but not a Princess."

"I told you never to mention that!"

"And I didn't listen. Because you're my friend, not my boss."

"May I leave?" Juliet asked. "This seems like a personal matter that I have no stake in."

"Was that the last thing in your report?" Adora clenched her fists and tried to maintain a clear head.

"Well, there was one thing, but it may be best if I save it for a later meeting."

"We're already here. We should get through the report." Adora unclenched her hands, feeling calmer. This kind of work made sense to her. It was easy and rhythmic. Dealing with Glimmer was neither of those.

"I think Apprentice Glimmer should leave for this discussion." Juliet gave Adora a pointed look that was lost on her.

"We need her soundproofing."

"Is there no way she can maintain the spell from outside?"

"Nope." Glimmer sat straight up and grinned like she was about to hear some juicy gossip.

"I warned you." Juliet looked down at her report but was clearly not reading from it. Adora wasn't looking forward to any news that prompted Juliet to avoid eye contact. "There's a new report from an officer on the field near Allwyn."

"And?"

"They say they've spotted She-Ra."

Adora felt all the blood leave her face. Even Glimmer blanched.

"That's impossible." Glimmer argued.

"The description matches Former-Cadet Catra perfectly. Plus, her death was never officially confirmed." Juliet rebuked.

"Catra's dead! She has to be dead! I was there when it happened. So much blood…." Glimmer wrapped her arms around herself.

"It is an old wives' tale that Magicats have more than one life. Perhaps there's some truth to that."

"You want to stake this decision on an old myth?"

"Enough." Adora's voice was even and quiet, but both Glimmer and Juliet quieted. They looked at her intently.

"Catra is in Allwyn, or at least she's going to be. Which means she is very much alive." Juliet asserted. "What are your orders on the matter?"

"This doesn't leave this room. This information is highly classified." Adora ordered. "Neither of you will breathe a word of this to anyone but me."

"We don't even know that she's back for sure, Adora." Glimmer restated.

"This officer didn't simply mistake a random Rebellion fighter for She-Ra. If they saw her and were able to describe her, she's out there."

"Then we have to prepare our troops to fight her."

"This information is highly classified, Glimmer. Do you understand?" Adora growled.

"You can't keep this a secret! She-Ra is the Rebellion's most heavy hitter. She'll be front and center soon. We need to come out ahead of this." Glimmer stood up from her chair.

"I gave my orders." Adora stood up too. "News of She-Ra will not reach Hordak until it is completely unavoidable."

"So what, you're trying to save face?"

"Of course I am! I just found out that I failed my initiation. I could lose my status for this! I could go to Beast Island for this!"

"She's right." Juliet told Glimmer before turning to Adora. "This would be your third, and biggest, failure. Hordak is unlikely to show any leniency."

"So it's decided. We're keeping this a secret." Adora looked for confirmation. Juliet nodded. Glimmer grimaced. "Apprentice Glimmer?" she set her jaw.

"Yes, Force Captain." she ground out.

"Good. Juliet, please move all troops out of Allwyn and send a bot contingent to take their place. Nothing with advanced cameras, understood?" Juliet nodded again. "Adjourned."

Juliet immediately stood, bowed, and all but ran out of the conference room. When the door opened, the blue glow on the walls faded. The spell was broken.

"This is a bad call, Adora." Glimmer warned, making to leave as well.

"It's the only one." Adora answered, sitting back down in her chair.

Glimmer left without another word, and none of the three noticed the tiny creature in the vents as it scurried off, giggling.

* * *

Clawdeen raced through the Woods, her familiarity with them helping a great deal. She wasn't sure where she was going, just that her connection to Catra was calling her. Her bond with She-Ra specifically. She hadn't felt that aspect of the sacred bond yet, but it was suddenly in full force.

"Clawdeen." The giant cat took a sharp right turn and burst through the trees to find herself in front of a massive crystalline monument. Standing in front of the door, waiting for her, was-

"She-Ra." Clawdeen stopped in front of the giant. Since she had been changed, she hadn't seen the warrior up close. She was a little underwhelming, with the way her costume was too big for Catra, even after she grew several feet. Yet, the Sword and determined expression coupled with her giant size made all that irrelevant.

"Come on, Clawdeen." She-Ra started to move, and Clawdeen bounded to her side happily.

"Where are we going?"

"Allwyn. We're talking back Etheria from the Horde, one village at a time."

"But won't we need reinforcements?" Clawdeen hesitated.

"You're the reinforcements."

"Just me?"

"I think She-Ra and her noble steed can handle this. Besides, I need to destroy some things, and I think it may be best if none of the other Rebels are around for that."

"Are you okay, Catra?" Clawdeen nudged against her hip.

"Better than ever. I healed up enough to transform, and now I'm about to take revenge on the people who killed my parents." She-Ra kept walking.

"What happened in there?" Clawdeen almost didn't want to know.

"I found out who I am." Catra told her simply. "I'm the product of the Horde's biggest failure. And I'm going to make them regret every family they ever split apart, starting with mine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First appearance of Juliet! She was super fun to write for, honestly. She's like the tired aunt who tries to keep Shadow Weaver from abusing the kids too much. It's great.  
> Also, Catra's not doing so good.... she'll be fine. Probably. She may be having a small existential crisis after learning her parental figure is single-handedly responsible for the destruction of her species. No biggie.  
> Friday was the 3-month anniversary of this fic, so that was exciting! I didn't do anything, but it made me happy, so that's the important part.   
> As always, leave some love in the comments and feel free to check out some of my other work (Wild Heart is the story I'm particularly proud of right now) or hit me up on Tumblr. See you all next week!


	16. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an emotional chapter and a bit of a turning point for the story, so it's an important one. There's also a little surprise down in the end-notes, so be sure to check those out if you're not usually an AN reader.  
> Enjoy!

Entrapta didn’t mind the war meetings much. Most of the time, they were quite informative and an excellent outlet for discussing her recent work in the Rebellion’s robotic division. The only problem was that they were depressing and took down the mood of the entire room. Scorpia was especially vulnerable, and Entrapta hated when her friend was upset.

“Cadet training is going well, but we are running a little low on recruits.” Cobalt addressed the war council. “With so many villages under Horde control, villagers who would usually join the war effort once they come of age have been unable to leave their towns. Some are even being pressed into service by the enemy.”

“Do we need new recruits?” Scorpia asked. “It seems the Alliance is doing most of the liberating these days.”

“Yeah, we’re a group of powerful teenagers. We’re fine mowing through the Horde ourselves.” Mermista shrugged.

“We’re not all teenagers.” Frosta pointed out.

“Right, a bunch of teenagers, Short-Stack here, and our babysitter.” Mermista nodded at Entrapta.

“I think myself more of a cool aunt.” Entrapta corrected.

“She’s more likely to wander off or cause collateral damage than any of you lot.” Octavia snorted. “If anything, you should keep her on a leash.”

“That seems insensitive.” Perfuma grimaced.

“Cobalt, if you would continue.” Grizzlor stated loudly. Cobalt gave his husband an appreciative smile as the room quieted. Entrapta recently noted that whenever the Alliance was all together, a single continuous line of discussion was nearly impossible. This supported earlier theories that large groups struggle with conversational coherency. She definitely needed to record these findings later.

“Princess, to answer your question, we do need recruits, and we need them soon. While the Alliance is incredibly powerful, our forces pale to theirs, and numbers alone give Hordak a massive advantage. His conscription policies mean that he has hundreds, maybe thousands of disposable soldiers. We have far fewer who are less willing to throw themselves into hazardous situations.” Cobalt steepled his hands. “Because we are not cruel like them, we are losing.”

“The things we would retreat from, they’re perfectly happy to throw waves of people into.” Grizzlor shook his head.

“So, there’s nothing we can do except become crueler, which we aren’t going to do.” Scorpia frowned.

“With luck, the robotics division will be able to replace many of our ground troops with machines. Then we can match the Horde’s disposable soldiers policies without sacrificing moral integrity.” Grizzlor assured her.

“I’ve been making strides, but the Horde has been snapping up First Ones’ tech before we can, even invading our mines.” Entrapta rubbed her chain with a strand of her hair. “We don’t have the resources we once did.”

“If they’re gathering tech, does that mean they’re planning on making their own fancy bots like ours?” Frosta mused.

“Well, if they do, we have the better builder. They just have materials.” Perfuma lightened.

“Who?” Entrapta furrowed her brow.

“You.” Scorpia clarified. 

“Oh! Thank you!” Entrapta blushed a little.

“Well, speaking of Horde bots, I believe we should move on with this meeting.” Arachnia spoke up. “Last words from anyone?”

“Only that we should focus on freeing villages if we want to solve our shortage.” Cobalt wrapped up, bowing and taking his seat. Grizzlor patted his arm.

“A perfect transition into our next matter, Sergeant Cobalt.” Arachnia nodded to him. “Next order of business,” she cleared her throat and turned on the holo-table. Entrapta noticed a slight wavering in one of the holographic mountain ranges. She would need to look the table over later for broken light-emitters. What fun! “The latest Horde activities. Grizzlor.” The queen nodded to the general.

“Bad news again, people.” Grizzlor stood up, and the whole war room groaned. “Our sources on the ground in Erelandia say that troop, specifically bots, are amassing nearby. They fear an invasion.”

“Didn’t we just liberate Erelandia?” Mermista dragged her hands down her face.

“Yes.” Scorpia sighed.

“Ugh! Stupid Horde with their advanced bots and suicidal soldiers.” Mermista folded her arms. “Everyone needs to stop being invaded every five seconds.”

“We’re at war, Mermista,” Perfuma said calmly. “Invasions are bound to happen and are out of our control.”

“Excuse me, but I believe Grizzlor was giving a report.” Octavia grumbled.

“Octi, please.” Cobalt calmed from the chair to her left. 

“Don’t call me Octi!” Octavia flushed.

“Every war meeting,” Arachnia muttered.

“If the Horde is readying an attack, we need to prepare countermeasures.” Grizzlor steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. “Entrapta, what do we have that can bet their bots?”

“Oh, my defenses that I left behind after we liberated the town should withstand a few waves of robots. I had Emily test them for me; they’ll hold.” Entrapta informed them with a smile. Any chance to talk about her advancements was a win.

“The report specifically says that these bots are more advanced than the typical Horde machines.” He took a page out of his field files and ran it through the holo-table’s scanner. In a moment, a holographic image of a massive and very advanced robot replaced the mountain ranges. Its left leg was wavering. Good, that gave Entrapta an idea of where the busted emitter was.

“We haven’t seen those before.” Scorpia leaned forward in her chair. Perfuma took her pincer unconsciously.

“The Horde is finally upgrading. It’s about time.” Entrapta said excitedly. Everyone stared. “I mean, that’s bad. Very bad.”

“Entrapta’s right. The Horde hasn’t changed the tech they use in decades.” Arachnia added. “Something must have changed to cause this kind of a large-scale overhaul.”

“Technically speaking, the classic Horde bots are quite outdated. All it takes is a good hit and their inner workings malfunction. These bots seem to not only be bigger and have more protective plating, but likely have increased mobility due to the extra legs that will let them avoid our attacks more easily.” Entrapta studied the design. “It’s brilliant but will make our jobs a lot harder.”

“So, what’s the plan then?” Frosta asked, folding her arms. “It sounds like punching them might not do the trick anymore.” She seemed upset by the idea.

“If we can catch one and study it, I should be able to whip up some defenses we can use to defeat them. But that would take some time, even after we managed to catch one of these things-”

The door burst open and the entire meeting looked toward it, startled. Something metallic flew through the air and landed on the holo-table, denting it and causing the hologram to fizzle out. Now it definitely needed repairs.

“Here,” She-Ra said simply, towering over the seating occupants of the room. The bot head on the table sparked. “Your bot, Entrapta.”

“Catra,” Scorpia started to stand. “You’re ba-”

“Where have you been?” Octavia cut her off. “It’s been ten days since you ran off, without express permission, mind you.”

“Octavia, please.” Arachnia groaned.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, we cannot allow her to continue breaking the rules left and right. The Rebellion is a military operation and we have guidelines to maintain order.” Octavia returned.

“I was in Allwyn, crushing the Horde’s forces there. Something you and your military guidelines haven’t been able to do in an entire month.” She-Ra folded her arms.

“Woo,” Entrapta carefully picked up the bot head with her hair. The single circular camera looked lifelessly at her. “It’s even more beautiful in person.” Emily whined by the side of her chair. “Don’t be jealous, Emily. You’re retro now!”

“Here’s the deal.” She-Ra clapped her hands. “Entrapta is going to find out exactly what makes this thing tick, and as soon as she does, we’re hitting the Horde with everything we’ve got. We’re going to take back every village they’ve conquered, and then we’re heading to the Fright Zone to dethrone Hordak and finally have peace in our time.”

“So, what, you’re the boss now?” Mermista raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes. Are you gonna argue with She-Ra?”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” Mermista leaned back in her chair.

“Good. It’s settled. Let’s take them down.” Catra shifted down. “Now I need a nap.” She turned around and walked unceremoniously out of the room.

“Dramatic kids.” Octavia muttered.

“Catra, wait!” Scorpia stumbled out of her chair and chased after Catra. Entrapta picked up the bot head and trailed after them.

She almost tripped over Clawdeen, who was lying down outside the door of the war room, hurrying along with just her legs. Usually, her hair was about half her mobility, but since she was carrying the bot head, it looked like she had to run the outdated way.

“Scorpia, I’ve been training for a week. I had some rest.” Catra sighed when Scorpia caught up to her. Entrapta skidded to a stop beside them. 

“I haven’t seen you in ten days, and then you come back acting all weird? What happened?” Scorpia asked gently. 

“Don’t bother; she’s being tight-lipped about the whole ordeal,” Clawdeen called from down the hallway.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Catra said simply. “Let me pass; I’m tired.”

“Rest is important, but your emotional health seems to be unstable.” Entrapta noted.

“Exactly.” Scorpia crossed her arms.

“Look, I found this old temple and there was a trainer inside who helped me heal up some. But I still need time to get back to full functionality.” Catra held up her hands. 

“There’s a random person in the middle of the Woods who helped you heal yourself?” Scorpia frowned.

“Not a person, per se. She’s this old First Ones’ hologram who used to train the old She-Ras when they appeared more than once a millennia.”

“There’s a temple in the Woods filled with First Ones’ tech?” Entrapta’s eyes grew wide.

“It’s mostly old junk. The hologram is a little glitchy herself.” Catra shrugged. “Talking with her was kind of exhausting, so I appreciate the concern, but I really just need some rest right now.” 

“I know. We’re just worried about you. You can talk to us, Catra. Any of us.” Scorpia promised.

“You wouldn’t understand. That’s okay, though. You guys all got to live happy lives with people who loved you, and I got to be raised by the woman who killed my mother.” Catra looked down at the ground and started to walk away.

“My parents were among the first casualties of the Horde, Catra.” Entrapta said simply. Catra stopped, and Scorpia looked at her with wide eyes. That made sense; she had never heard any of this before. “The Horde invaded my kingdom for its tech and killed anyone they came across. I was raised by their robotic nanny and butler from age four and on. That’s why I came here as a teenager. I wanted to understand the War, to know what killed my parents. But war is something no one understands.”

“Catra, you know we care about you, but you are not the only person who the Horde have taken things from.” Scorpia asserted gently. “My mother lost her wife, and I lost a mom. Frosta inherited a kingdom at too young of an age. Mermista’s mom went crazy after her dad died. Perfuma’s brother abdicated because he saw what being a ruler did to his parents. Spinnerella and Netossa lost their entire world and came here with nothing.”

“But you didn’t have to live with the people who did all those things. You didn’t have to survive every day with them poisoning your mind and claiming to be the good guys. Lying to your face about who you are and where you came from.” Catra defended.

“No, we didn’t. But now, neither do you.” 

“You’re with us now, Catra.” Entrapta promised with a hesitant smile. “We’ll protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting. I’m not weak anymore.”

“We’re not claiming you’re weak. We’re claiming you’re hurt.” Scorpia clarified.

Catra leaned against the wall behind her. “I’m tired.” She repeated.

“Tell us why.” Scorpia offered gently. Catra slid down to the ground and wrapped her tail around her legs.

“In the temple. My memories….” She pressed her hands to her face. “I saw Halfmoon burn.”

Entrapta lowered her bot head to the ground and got down on her knees.

“I’m sorry.” She said quietly. “That must have been very hard to watch.”

Scorpia sat down and wrapped Catra in a hug. She stiffened before relaxing into it, purring slightly.

“I want to take them down, show the Horde that what they did was wrong and will have consequences.” She whispered, voice watery.

“We will.” Scorpia swore.

“By all accounts, things are going to improve soon.” Entrapta agreed. “We’re your friends, and things are always better with friends.”

…………..

Walking past the Moonstone Chamber had been…. awkward, to put it lightly, since Adora stood up to Shadow Weaver those weeks ago. She knew her mentor was in there, conjuring one thing or another, lamenting the loss of her status. Plotting her next move.

On the four-month anniversary of Catra’s defection, not that Adora was counting, she took action.

“She-Ra is in Allwyn.” Adora froze in place. Slowly, she turned to look at the door of the Moonstone Chamber. Those words…. she thought she’d never hear them again. But there they were. Juliet was in the Moonstone Chamber, telling Shadow Weaver of all people the secret that could cost Adora everything.

Without thinking, Adora punched the control pad and the door to the Chamber opened. Inside, Shadow Weaver was suspending Imp in midair with her wispy magic.

“Adora, how nice of you to pay me a visit.” Shadow Weaver cooed sweetly. Imp squirmed and yowled in her grasp. Adora almost felt bad for him. “Did you get my little message?”

“She is very much alive.” Imp repeated in Juliet’s voice.

“You’re lucky I caught this little snitch before he could return to Hordak. I can only imagine what he would put you through if you were to fail yet again.”

“What do you want?” Adora narrowed her eyes.

“I’ve been given advanced notice that the Moonstone Chamber will soon be repurposed to better suit our Lord’s needs. In the coming months, I will need a new power source.” The look of terror on Adora’s face must have given her away because Shadow Weaver chuckled. “Not you, my dear. Your power is vast, but you will be needing it yourself once we rule the Horde together. No, I have something else in mind. Something so powerful I won’t need to tether myself to a Runestone any longer.”

Adora said nothing.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what source I’m after?”

“What source are you after?” Adora ground out.

“I have changed my tune about She-Ra. Clearly, killing her was the wrong path to take. We’re going to make use of her instead. Bring me the Sword of She-Ra. In exchange, because I am so generous, I will help you recondition its bearer.” Shadow Weaver explained.

“What?”

“Once I have the Sword, I will have the power to erase Catra’s entire experience with the Rebellion. With her memories of She-Ra deleted, she will return to your side without resistance.” She promised. Adora was immediately bombarded with conflicting emotions. “Is that not what you want?” it was.

Thinking Catra was dead for those few days was the hardest thing she had ever dealt with. She wanted Catra back in her life more than anything. But this….

“Do we have a deal?” Shadow Weaver extended a hand. Adora hesitated. “If you want her to be safe, she will need to rejoin the winning team.” 

Adora swallowed hard and took her mentor’s hand in her own shaking one. “Excellent.” Shadow Weaver pressed her index finger to Imp’s forehead before releasing him. He stumbled for a minute and then climbed away into the vents.

“A simple memory spell can fix many problems.” She said as she watched him leave. “Like how Hordak may not remember your little initiation failure in the morning.” Adora’s eyes widened.

“You’re going to use magic on Lord Hordak?” that seemed very illegal.

“It wouldn’t be my first choice, but we do have to remedy your mistake somehow.” Shadow Weaver sighed. Adora winced. “But you are my commander now. I can always refrain if you were to tell me to. After all, I hear Beast Island is nice this time of year.”

“Fine, do your spell. You’ll need practice for Catra anyway.”

“Your lack of faith in my work is concerning and, I assure you, not necessary.” Shadow Weaver drifted across the room until she was standing over Adora. “I’m going to make your problems go away, my dear. But I want you to remember my generosity when I need something.”

“Of course, Shadow Weaver.”

“Ma’am.”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

“Good girl.” Shadow Weaver patted Adora’s cheek and went back to her scrying bowl. That was Adora’s cue to leave, and she took it gratefully.

She left the Moonstone Chamber feeling brighter. Sure, she was being blackmailed, but if she kept her end of the bargain, she could finally save Catra. This was it, the best possible outcome. This was for Catra’s own good. And besides, she would never even know that she’d been so lost.

Everything would be perfect soon.

**End of Season One**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, it's the end of Season One!! Yay!
> 
> This means "What You're Worth" is going on a little hiatus. I'll be back with new chapters in a month, but I need some rest and some time to work out where the story goes from here, as well a little playing catch-up so I'm not always finishing these chapters the day I post them. I'll still be writing, so one-shots and small sagas will still come out now and again, so don't expect a lack of content from me. I'm just giving myself a little break. I'm my own boss and I work for free, so I can pretty much do whatever.
> 
> As always, leave some love down in the comments and I'll see you all soon!


End file.
